First blows of approaching Mocha

As the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Mocha moves further towards Bangladesh and approaches Cox's Bazar coasts, its early impacts are felt across the country, disrupting electricity and gas supplies, factory production, and transportation services even in areas far from the possible impact zone.

Bangladesh, due to its unique geographic location, is particularly vulnerable to cyclones and has seen some of the most devastating natural disasters in history with high casualties.

The 1970 Bhola cyclone remains the deadliest tropical cyclone on record, claiming 3-5 lakh lives. 

In 2007, Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Sidr was blamed for around 3,500 deaths with some estimates reaching 15,000.

Three years later in 2020, Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan hit Bangladesh, causing the deaths of at least 20 people.

Gas supply disrupted

Authorities have decided to suspend the gas supply from two floating LNG terminals in Moheshkhali and took the floating regasification facilities to the deep sea as a precaution against Mocha.

As a result, gas-powered power plants in Chattogram, Meghnaghat, Haripur, and Siddhirganj areas may remain closed or operate partially.

Gas supply to households, industries and CNG stations was snapped in Chattogram and Cumilla at 11pm on Friday as the authorities suspended gas supply from two floating LNG terminals

The Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL), the state-owned utility that distributes gas in Chattogram areas, used to get around 300 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas per day, mostly from LNG.

But due to the supply halt from LNG sources, KGDCL's received gas has dropped to almost zero.

Engineer Md Rafiqul Islam, managing director of Karnaphuli Gas said the disruption will continue until the cyclone situation gets normal.

Besides, gas supply to the household gas consumers in Dhaka and  Mymensingh also faced a gas shortage.

Pipeline gas users in the capital's Mirpur, Banasri, Rampura, Dhanmondhi, Old Dhaka and Jatrabari areas struggled with poor gas supply.

Engineer Md Haronur Rashid Mullah, managing director at Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited, supplier to Dhaka and Mymensingh Divisions, said the company was supplied with 300mmcf less gas against a demand of 1,700mmcf.

Load shedding

Due to the shortage in gas supply, frequent load shedding hit people across the country, especially in Chattogram, Cumilla and Dhaka.

On Thursday, a day before the suspension, out of the 2,760.4mmcf of gas transmitted through the country's gas network, around 650mmcf came from the LNG terminals that had their operations suspended.

From early Saturday, city dwellers in Dhaka faced intermittent load sheddings, each lasting for hours.

Sources at the Bangladesh Power Development Board said that electricity generation from the gas-based power plants has decreased to around 3,000MW due to gas, coal and liquid fuel shortage.

On Monday, the country produced around 5,420MW of electricity from gas-based power plants which dropped to 4,000MW on Saturday.

The power division now eying to keep the total production to a minimum of 9,500MW against a demand of around 15,000MW.

Bikash Dewan, managing director at Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited, the state-owned utility that supplies electricity to parts of Dhaka and Narayanganj, said that their distribution system is facing around 500MW shortage against 1,700MW daily demand.

"Therefore, we are managing the supply with area-wise supply cuts," he added.

Sources at the Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited, another state-owned utility that supplies electricity to Northern Dhaka and Tongi, said that it is also supplying power with around 300MW shortage.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid regretted the temporary inconvenience.

He urged people not to touch any snapped electrical wire and contact their nearest electricity office if needed.

Effects on industries

Power and gas disruptions have forced steel manufacturer BSRM to severely limit production at two of its factories that have a capacity of producing 5,500 tonnes of rods a day.

The gas supply to the factories has been completely shut since Friday.

But to reduce the losses, the factories are operating using furnace oil and liquid diesel oil. The production of the two factories has come down to 40% of the capacity.

Tapan Sen Gupta, deputy managing director of BSRM Group, said although there is electricity in some factories, production has stopped completely due to a lack of gas.

Meanwhile, readymade garment factory owners with emergency orders are the biggest sufferers of the situation.

Rakibul Alam Chowdhury, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that companies that have emergency shipment orders are continuing production with alternative fuels on their own initiative.

Besides, gas supply crunch has forced the tanners at Tannery Industrial Estate in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital city, to halt their production.

Md Shakhawat Ullah, general secretary of Bangladesh Tanners Association, told The Business Standard, "We are forced to shut down all of our tanneries as there has been no gas since Saturday morning."

Engineer Ajit Chandra Dev, general manager of Titas Gas (Savar zone), told TBS that all the Titas customers in Aricha, Kashimpur, and Savar-Ashulia are facing the same problem. 

Md Shaheen Ahamed, chairman of the Bangladesh Tanners Association, told TBS, "The industrial estate has housed 141 tanneries for leather production. For a whole day closure, tanners here have to incur a loss of at least Tk100 crore." 

Inland water transport suspended

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has announced the suspension of services of all types of water vessels across the country due to the approaching cyclone.

Vessels will remain non-operational from Saturday morning till further notice. No launch on Daulatdia-Paturia and Aricha-Kazirhat routes left Dhaka following the order.

BIWTA also cancelled the leave of its employees until further notice and asked them to stay alert for any emergency situation.

In a bulletin released on Friday, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has advised all fishing boats and trawlers in the northern Bay of Bengal to seek shelter immediately.

SSC exams postponed, schools closed

The secondary school certification (SSC) and equivalent examinations slated for Sunday and Monday (May 14, 15) under six education boards have been postponed under six education boards due to Mocha.

The six boards are the Chattogram, Cumilla, Jashore, Barishal, Bangladesh Madrasa and Technical Education boards.

Exams in other boards will be held as per schedule. The revised schedule of the postponed exams will be announced later.

Besides, all schools and colleges under Chattogram, Cumilla, Barishal, and Jashore educational boards will remain closed Sunday due to the incoming cyclone.

Universities in Chattogram, Cumilla, Barishal, Jashore, and Khulna will also remain closed.

Flights grounded

Flight operations have been suspended at the Shah Amanat International Airport of Chattogram and Cox's Bazar Airport.

Air operation at Chattogram airport will remain suspended from Saturday 6am till Sunday midnight.

Meanwhile, sources at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) have confirmed that Cox's Bazar Airport will also remain closed from Saturday 7am to Sunday 7pm.