Political will and decisions are essential for managing the persistent electricity crisis, which is hampering our production as well as our national progress. Making this observation former Energy Minister Anwar Hossain Manju pointed out that it is not the managerial inefficiency rather political indecision is mainly responsible for the improper load management of power. “We must know our requirement and actual demand of electricity; then we will have to fix our priority and limitations,” he said.
But, Manju hastened to say that it is only indiscipline, which is making this nation suffer in every sector since long. “If we can remove indiscipline from various sectors we can change our fate with whatever resources we have got. It is only indiscipline and irregularity that engulfed the whole society for which we are suffering,” said Manju, who served as Energy Minister under military ruler HM Ershad in mid-eighties.
A seasoned politician, Manju, made no hesitation to add that indiscipline has mismanaged everything. He held the politicians responsible for it. “Politicians are responsible for indiscipline in the developing world,” Manju said adding, “again political will is essential to bring discipline, which can put the country into right track”.
Manju talked with the Energy and Power about the power and gas crisis and put suggestions how to overcome the situation.
Following are excerpts of the interview:
EP: How you look at the present power situation of the country?
Manju: We are yet to assess our real demand of electricity. We say about the peak-hour demand, but we don't know for how many hours this peak demand continues. We make decision of the national demand taking into account the demand of few hours, which we call peak-hour, but that assessment is on wrong perception.
By only increasing power generation, we can't meet the present demand unless problems in generation, transmission and distributions are resolved.
EP: Then how we can meet the crisis?
Manju: We can meet our demand adopting proper load management. Peak demand of electricity is in between 6pm to 11pm and by shutting down shops, stopping wielding and taking few other measures we can meet this crisis. Nowhere in the world, market places, except essential shops, remain open after 6 in the evening, but the poorest country is having this luxury, which is throwing us into crisis.
Running pump machines for irrigation throughout the day is another cause for electricity crisis. Pumps across the country should only operate after peak-hour. I think harshest law has to be made to make sure that shutters of shops are down by 6pm and irrigation pumps kept off until 10pm.
There should have a political decision in this regard. We must know how much electricity requires in each sector as like in industry, irrigation, domestic etc. Crisis could only be met by enforcing law first fixing our priority and that can be done synchronizing between peak load and base load, otherwise all our efforts would be futile.
EP: How do you see the government's ambitious vision of giving all access to power by the year 2020?
Manju: It is impossible to ensure power to all by that stipulated time. The government should not take this responsibility rather localized supply of power through generators or setting up small power plants through private sector is the only way out to allow people to enjoy power in every nook and corner of the country.
Distribution lines have been taken in many places for political reasons, but power shortage has made it a laughing stock as electricity in many places can be made available only for a little time everyday.
Huge pilferage and unusual system loss have made the power sector more vulnerable and held centralized power transmission and distribution responsible for it. Only way out in ensuring uninterrupted power supply lies with decentralization of generation and distribution systems.
EP: Can the ongoing reforms in the power sector like making PDB a holding company and setting up new companies for generation, distribution and transmission would bring any positive result in the dilapidated power situation?
Manju: Such reforms will only ensure fat and handsome salaries to some officials. These reforms will neither ensure service to the consumers nor bring efficiency in this sector.
Total privatization of this sector can yield desired result, otherwise this will be merely an eyewash.
When I took the charge, power generation was only 750 MW and it was increased to 2,500 MW when I quit in 1990. The decade of eighties was eventful for the power sector of the country. Considering the past six decades, volume of works in generation, transmission and distribution was highest during the period.
Twenty eight power units with the capacity of 1,668-MW were set up in 80s. Also another three plants of 630-MW total capacity were initiated at that time and they started generation in the next decade. For the first time in the country's history 230-KV 26-km transmission line was set up in this decade. At the end of the decade the span of this sort of transmission line stood at 250-km. Other transmission and distribution lines also witnessed massive expansion.
Power plants were set up during the decade with suppliers' credits from Russia and China. Funding further came from the ADB, World Bank, Kuwait Fund, JBIC, French government, USAID and other donor countries and agencies.
In fact, the decade was of the most success stories in power sector. During my tenure tax had been exempted from importing generators to encourage the captive power generation.
EP: How do you look at the gas export issue?
Manju: Why Bangladesh will have to export gas to India? There are mounting pressure from the International Oil Companies (IOCs), engaged in exploring gas in Bangladesh. If we can buy, why they want to export. They can only export, when we can't buy.
Also there is no scope for the IOCs to go for gas export as per agreement with the Bangladesh government.
IOCs here are yet to dig a single hole, rather they are engaged in exploration on the fields, which were discovered by the Bangladeshi experts.
I'm opposed to inviting the IOCs for gas exploration in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has the technology and are well experienced in this sector.
On the other hand, look at the Magurchhara explosion that took place in 1997. Occidental is responsible for it, but we are yet to get compensation for the loss we sustained.
EP: Then why did you engage IOCs during your tenure?
Manju: It must be clear that the IOCs at that time were not invited to go for gas exploration, rather to find out oil. But after 20 years we see that none had gone for oil. And also I want to know where the oil of Haripur has gone.
I believe BAPEX has the expertise and Bangladeshi experts are well experienced in gas exploration.
EP: But you didn't strengthen the BAPEX.
Manju: During my tenure in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, we had enough money to go for gas exploration, but only thing we were lacking was a rig. But at this moment I would not disclose the reason for not obtaining the rig at that time.
EP: What was the reason to engage Scimitar?
Manju: During our tenure the then government signed agreement with Scimitar for oil exploration, not for gas.
EP: And BNP cancelled the agreement with the Scimitar.
Manju: Not true. The agreement with the Scimitar was not cancelled; rather Scimitar has transferred its operation to Occidental following an understanding with the BNP government.