Normal life in Nilphamari has been disrupted due to severe load shedding caused by receiving less than half of the required power supply. Amid the unbearable sweltering heat, frequent power outages have left ordinary people miserable, while power-dependent businesses have come to a standstill.
Local sources report that the heat has been steadily rising for the past few days. With round-the-clock power cuts, it has become nearly impossible for people to stay indoors. On one hand, sleep is being disrupted; on the other, daily household activities are getting hindered. Nur Banu, a housewife from the Sabujpara area, expressed her frustration, stating that water cannot be pumped due to the lack of electricity, leaving everyday chores like cooking and washing clothes completely stalled.
A similar condition is faced by ordinary residents like Karimul Islam from Dogachi village under Tupamari Union in the district sadar. He shared that the combination of heat and lack of electricity makes the indoor atmosphere feel suffocating.
However, the hardest hit of this power crisis has landed on livelihoods. Miru Adhikari, a tailor shop owner at the Moralsangha intersection in the town, mentioned that workers are sitting idle for hours due to the power outage. As a result, they are unable to execute even 200 BDT worth of work a day. Dulu Roy, a craftsman at the same shop, expressed his despair, saying that the small daily earning isn't even enough to cover commute and food expenses, leading to net losses.
According to the weather office, temperatures in the district have been hovering between 32 and 34.5 degrees Celsius over the past few days. Lokman Hakim, acting officer at the Saidpur Meteorological Office, informed that a maximum temperature of 32.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in the district yesterday, Sunday, down from 34.6 degrees Celsius the previous day. Added to this heat is the discomfort caused by high humidity.
According to officials from the power distribution companies, the crisis is stemming from not receiving the required supply from the national grid. Md. Naushad Ali, Executive Engineer of Domar NESCO, stated that while 9 megawatts of electricity is required for around 35,000 customers across Domar, Dimla, and parts of Debiganj, they are receiving only 4.5 to 5 megawatts at most. Consequently, they are forced to implement alternating load shedding across 9 feeders, leaving consumers without power for more than 10 hours a day.
The situation is identical in Nilphamari Sadar. Prashanta Kumar Roy, Executive Engineer of Nilphamari NESCO, mentioned that against a demand of 12 megawatts for 43,000 customers, the supply is nearly 45 percent short. As a result, load shedding has to be managed by shutting down multiple feeders simultaneously. Officials noted that national-level power generation deficits are primarily responsible for creating this widespread suffering across the district.
