Power outrages across the country have increased as the electricity shortfall has reached over 5,000 Megawatts due to reduced generation from the hydel resources. Massive gab in supply and demand has proved that claims of government to reduce or eliminate loadshedding were just mere rhetoric. This is the start of summer, May, June, July yet to come, the extreme hot months in most parts of the country. One of the main promises of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz before last general elections was to remove menace of energy crisis and loadshedding after coming into power, not in years but in months. But almost four years have already passed and still it seems that government has miserably failed to fulfill its promises and once again people would be left on their own to suffer in extreme weather conditions. The power demand has escalated as summer season arrived whereas in the aftermath of the situation, urban areas are facing loadshedding for 6-08 hours whereas those residing in rural areas suffer power cut off for 8-12 hours.
According to reports Tarbela and Mangla Dams have reached dead level and thus generating a very small amount of electricity. It was pointed out that at this time of the year the power generation goes down due to less water in the dams. Hydroelectricity is being affected the most from the lack of water reservoirs. Less rain and more hot temperature also increased demand of electricity which ultimately caused unannounced loadshedding of hours. The hydropower generation capacity is 6500MW in the country but at present only 1900MW is being produced. Currently, total production of electricity has trimmed down whereas the current demand of electricity stands at 17, 140MW. Situation may improve a little by the end of April as the melting of snow would bring more water to the reservoirs and thus more hydel generation.
Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif on Monday yet again promised that situation would be under control and government shall curtail soaring load shedding by end of April. Once again he blamed the sudden change in the weather and said that electricity demand in April-2017 has gone up by 2000MW when compared with same period of previous year. He stated that circular debts stood at Rs385 billion as of March 31, 2017. Federal government owes Rs163 billion to IPPs, Rs56 billion to Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Rs54 billion in terms of capacity payment to IPPs. According to him country is witnessing additional load shedding as power plants capable of producing 1200MW of electricity have been closed for maintenance work. These power plants will start production by end of April. Similarly, an additional 1000MW of hydel electricity and an overall of 4500MW of electricity would be added in national grid after which there will be significant decrease in electricity shortage.
If incumbent government of PML-N would not be able to fulfill promises it made during last general elections, particularly to eradicate loadshedding, it would come to haunt them in next general elections. Government has almost one year to overcome the issue of energy crisis.
Govt has failed to fulfill its promise to end loadshedding.
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