Kaptai Lake Water Crisis: 4 out of 5 Units Shut Down at Karnafuli Power Plant

Due to an alarming decline in the water level of Kaptai Lake, four out of the plant's five generating units have been forced offline. Currently, only one unit remains operational, struggling to produce a mere 38 MW of electricity against the facility's total installed capacity of 240 MW.

The water level in the country’s largest artificial lake has plummeted due to prolonged drought and the ongoing intense heatwave. According to the standard "Rule Curve" guidelines, the water level at this time of year should be at least 83 feet Mean Sea Level (MSL), but current measurements show the level has dropped to 77.20 feet—nearly 6 feet below the required threshold. This depletion has made it impossible to rotate the turbines of Units 1, 3, 4, and 5. At present, only Unit 2 is running at a limited capacity to maintain a minimal supply to the national grid, while the water level continues to recede by approximately 0.20 feet every 24 hours.

Engineer Mahmud Hasan, the manager of the power plant, warned that if the region does not receive significant rainfall by the first week of May, the water level could drop below the 70-foot mark. If this occurs, the final operational unit will also have to be shut down, leading to a complete cessation of production. This crisis extends beyond electricity, as the receding waters are also crippling the local fishing industry and river-based transport. Authorities have stated that there is no alternative but to wait for the monsoon rains to restore the lake's capacity and resume full-scale operations.