Power shortage reaches 7,700MW mark

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The electricity shortage in the country has reached up to 7,700 Megawatts (MW) resultantly consumers are facing 14 to 20 hours loadshedding, Water and Power Ministry officials said.

In several cities of Punjab, residents during past two days remained without electricity overnight.

According to Pepco, IPPs have not been supplied oil and gas by the Ministry of Water and Power which is why their production has decreased. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has reduced furnace oil supply to those power plants operating on furnace oil as its outstanding dues against power and other sectors have crossed Rs 206 billion mark.

According to an official of PSO, Ministry of Finance has released Rs 4 billion to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of which PSO has received only Rs 1.1 billion. He added that with each passing day the situation is worsening and if the government does not release outstanding dues soon PSO would default. At present PSO has to pay Rs 180 billion to its local as well as international clients, while its receivables are Rs 206 billion.

"Pakistan has the capacity to immediately resolve energy crisis as our installed power generation capacity is about 23,000 megawatts of which 19,000 megawatts is available against country's peak demand of 17,000 megawatts", said a top official of the Ministry of Water and Power requesting anonymity. The problem, he added, is the circular debt and the inability of the government to take necessary decisions to eliminate the debt. Due to serious power crisis the residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad have been facing unscheduled loadshedding for the last three days.

People in different localities of the twin cities while talking to Business Recorder said that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has repeatedly stated that resolving the power crisis is the top priority of his government, but on ground situation with each day passing is becoming worse.

When contacted Iesco Rawalpindi Circle (Operations) Manager Shaikh Abid admitted to unscheduled loadshedding: "We are facing electricity shortfall that's why there is unscheduled loadshedding. Situation could worsen in future," he warned.