Govt plans to lay underground cable system in capital
BSS
The government has planned to bring the entire capital city under underground power cable system by next nine years, state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said yesterday, reports BSS. We have undertaken a project to install an underground electric cable system . . . the sub-stations required for the system will also be installed beneath the surface level, he told newsmen after a meeting on Power System Master Plan (PSMP) 2015 at Bidyut Bhaban. Hamid said the project aimed at ensuring undisrupted power supply and give the city a better look while it was expected to be completed by 2025. The concealed cable system will protect the networks from storms or any such natural disasters . . . it will simultaneously give the city a better look, the state minister said. He said cost for the project was estimated to be as high as US$ 4 billion. Officials familiar with the process, meanwhile, said the ministry already appointed a consultant for DESCO to implement the project initially at Gulshan, Uttara, Baridhara, Banani and Purbachal areas. Replying to a question about load-shedding, Hamid said the power sector currently witnessed no dearth of production in terms of existing demands but we have transmission line shortage. Chaired by power division secretary Monowar Islam, the discussion was also addressed by secretary in charge of energy and mineral resources division Nazimuddin Chowdhury and Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Bangladesh Office Mikio Hataeda.
