Authorities stay asleep even after power outages last through the night

Power outages at night in Kumarkhali, Kushtia, often go unresolved. Residents have to wait until the following morning for faults to be repaired. Even when they contact the electricity office or hotline at night, they do not receive immediate service.

There are only two linemen for 14,000 customers. One of them is currently ill. As a result, when a fault occurs at night, there are no repair workers available. This is causing suffering for children and elderly people in the heat and disrupting businesses and daily activities.

According to information from the Kumarkhali office of West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited, or WZPDCL, it has around 14,000 customers in the upazila. Only two linemen are responsible for supplying electricity to these customers and addressing faults. As one of them is currently ill, faults in electricity lines in any area cannot be repaired immediately at night.

Customers said the biggest problem during nighttime power outages is communication. Even when electricity is available in surrounding areas, if a fault occurs in the connection of a home, shop or factory, residents have to wait for a long time to get it repaired. The problem is particularly severe after 10 pm.

Marium Akter Mousumi, a resident of Durgapur in Kumarkhali, said, “When the electricity goes out at night, we face problems with children and elderly people. But when we contact the electricity office, we cannot reach anyone. We have to wait until 9 am.”

The problem is affecting not only households but also electricity dependent businesses. Partha Sarthi Ghosh, director of Madhusu Fashion and Raj Trading in the Tarun Mor area of Batikamara in the municipality, said that when an electricity related problem occurs late at night, there is no one available to repair the fault immediately. As a result, factory and business operations have to be suspended.

Customers also complained that fluctuations in voltage along with power outages are damaging electrical equipment. This is causing additional financial losses for small business owners and factory operators.

However, WZPDCL officials said the main reason for the situation is a long-standing shortage of manpower. Md. Golam Mostofa, residential engineer at the Kumarkhali office, said it is not possible to provide full service with only two linemen for 14,000 customers. The situation has become more difficult because one of them is ill. The process of recruiting new workers through outsourcing is underway.

Anupam Chakraborty, executive engineer of WZPDCL Kushtia, said no new manpower has been recruited in the past 14 to 15 years. He said, “Six linemen are needed to operate in three shifts, but there are only two. There is not even a separate employee to answer phone calls.”

Officials hope that 24-hour customer service will be ensured once manpower is recruited through outsourcing.

The issue has also come to the attention of the local administration. Kumarkhali Upazila Executive Officer Farzana Akter said she was not aware that residents were being deprived of electricity services for long periods during nighttime outages. She said she would speak to the residential engineer and determine what can be done about the matter.