The government has started taking measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply for the coming irrigation season as the power consumption during the boro cultivation jumps up to additional 5,000MW.
“At present, the country is generating a maximum 11,608MW of electricity per day, while the electricity demand may reach 17,000MW for irrigation season during April,” a BPDB official said.
To meet the additional demand, the state run Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has proposed a closer monitoring and restrictions on irrigation pump operations during peak hours, alongside efforts to encourage farmers to shift irrigation to off-peak periods.
According to power cell information, the total number of irrigation connection is now 4.98 lakh in the country, while the number of total power plants is now 135.
Currently, the country generates 11,608MW electricity while importing 2,696 MW, it said.
