In Chilmari Union of Chilmari Upazila of Kurigram, due to the erosion of Brahmaputra, electricity has been cut off in three villages of that union. Locals have removed the electricity connection poles and its safe place and placed the poles at a safe distance for re-connection. However, due to the lack of goodwill of the electricity department, the rural electricity consumers of the area are claiming that the electricity connection has not yet been provided. Meanwhile, the electricity department said that the connection of the line has been blocked due to the pole being removed without informing the office. Char Shakhahati, Gaynar Patal and Shahidul Mistry villages of Chilmari Union of the upazila have been without electricity connection since 17 days. So far, customers have suffered due to power reconnection. It is known that in 2021, Palli Vidyut Office connected the electricity line from Jorgach Ghat of Ramna Model Union of Upazila to Charshakhahati of Chilmari Union through the bottom of Brahmaputra river using submarine cable. It cost over crores taka. As a result of continuous erosion of Brahmaputra river for four months in that union, 17 days ago Char Shakhahati area was facing erosion and as a result electricity was cut off to about 350 customers of three villages. Due to this, the electricity pole also fell near the river. Later, the locals took their own initiative and removed 5 electricity poles and placed them in a safe place. Due to non-cooperation of electricity department, about 350 customers of that char are now living in darkness due to power cut for 17 days.
Many people including Shahidul Islam, Nur Bakt, Zakir Hossain of Shakhahati area of Chilmari Union said that since the electricity connection, the use of solar has decreased. I have not been connected for 17 days since the power cut due to sudden breakdown. We are having a lot of problems with it. If the electricity office cooperated a little, we would have got the connection. Enamul Haque, Jahangir Alam, a student of the school in the same area, said that there is no electricity in our area for 17 days and it is difficult to study. Chilmari Union Parishad UP Chairman Aminul Islam said, I am contacting the electricity office. DGM, AGM told everyone, they are just saying let's see. The engineer does not pick up the phone.
Assistant General Manager (AGM) of Chilmari Zonal Office Md. Alamin said that the locals have rebuilt the line by themselves. Then they take a new electricity line! It does not fall in our rules and resolutions. Now we can't provide them line. Now the new line will have to wait. If the locals had told us earlier, then the steaming sheet would have been sent from here to our office in Dhaka, and the line would have been connected if it passed from there. It is blocked for this.
Chilmari Zonal Office Deputy General Manager (DGM) Engineer Mustafa Kamal called several times on his mobile phone, but he did not receive the call.
ZH
