Severe Load-Shedding Leaves Residents Without Power for 18 Hours

Prolonged power cuts have brought daily life to a standstill in Lalpur as oppressive heat combines with an acute electricity supply shortage. Residents say electricity is unavailable for up to 18 hours out of 24, leaving households, businesses, students and workers struggling to cope with the disruption.

The frequent load-shedding has affected several sectors of the local economy, including agriculture, small industries and businesses. Household activities have also been disrupted, particularly during the night when temperatures remain uncomfortable and residents depend on electricity for fans, water pumps and other essential appliances.

According to data from the local rural electricity office, electricity demand during the daytime on Monday stood at 19 megawatts, while only 9.42 megawatts was available. The gap was also significant on Sunday night, when demand reached 25 megawatts against a supply of 15 megawatts.

The shortage means the available electricity has to be distributed among multiple feeders through repeated load-shedding. As a result, residents in different areas are facing interruptions throughout the day and night rather than experiencing a stable supply.

For many families, the problem has also become an economic burden.

Sohel Ali, an autorickshaw driver from Walia village, said he depends on driving his vehicle to support his family. However, the prolonged power cuts are preventing him from charging the vehicle’s battery properly.

“Electricity is unavailable for around 18 hours a day. I cannot take the autorickshaw onto the road because I cannot charge its battery properly. It has become difficult to run my household,” he said.

At home, residents are facing a different set of problems. Aliza Parvin, a housewife from Lalpur village, said the repeated outages were making it difficult for her family, particularly her young children, to sleep at night.

She said electricity was also unavailable when they needed to pump water into the household tank. The combination of intense heat, power cuts and interruptions to water supply has added to the family’s difficulties.

Students are also struggling to maintain their study schedules. Sumaiya Khatun, an HSC candidate from Walia village, said she was unable to study properly because electricity was frequently unavailable.

The disruption is equally visible in local workshops and small industries. Md Gani, owner of Gani Engineering Workshop, said there was considerable pressure to complete work at his factory, but the lack of electricity was preventing operations from continuing normally.

“Workers are having to sit idle when there is no electricity,” he said.

The prolonged outages can affect productivity in small workshops because machinery often depends directly on a reliable electricity supply. Interruptions can delay orders and reduce the amount of work that can be completed during the working day.

Agricultural activities are also being affected by the unreliable supply, while traders and small businesses that depend on electrical equipment are facing interruptions to their normal operations. The effects are particularly difficult during periods of extreme heat, when households and workplaces have greater dependence on electricity.

Rezaul Karim, deputy general manager of the Lalpur zonal office of Natore Palli Bidyut Samity-2, said the main reason for the frequent outages was the substantial gap between demand and supply.

“Less than half of the electricity required is being supplied compared with demand,” he said.

According to him, load-shedding has therefore been necessary across nine feeders in the area. Depending on the available supply, power cuts are lasting about one hour at times and up to one and a half hours at others.

The situation has left residents facing repeated interruptions at a time when electricity is particularly important for cooling, water supply, education and income-generating activities. Unless the gap between demand and supply is reduced, households and local businesses are likely to continue facing difficulties in maintaining their normal routines.