As power shortfall increases, so do outages

Ministry of Water and Power fails to implement its plan for equal electricity loadshedding across Pakistan.


Web Desk June 02, 2013
Ministry of Water and Power fails to implement its plan for equal electricity load-shedding across the country. PHOTO: PPI/FILE

ISLAMABAD: As the power shortfall increases across the country, the Ministry of Water and Power failed to implement its plan for equal electricity load-shedding, Express News reported on Sunday.

According to the latest data, the power shortfall increased from 5,000 megawatt (MW) to 5,500MW.

Because of the increased demand for electricity, power companies have raised the number of loadshedding hours by two to three hours.

Earlier, the caretaker government had also released funds worth billions to control the power crisis.

A recent online survey conducted by The Express Tribune revealed that a vast majority of areas are facing more than 10 hours of load shedding daily.

Data from the research, compiled by provinces, shows that the worst hit consumers reside in Punjab. Of the 870 respondents from Punjab, 91% reported facing up to 10 hours of load-shedding daily, while  5% reported that they faced 6 to 10 hours of electricity outage each day.

COMMENTS (9)

Wajiha | 11 years ago | Reply

Can anybody deny that despite all odds, the government had added 3,000 MW to the electricity system? It’s a fact that not a single megawatt had been added to the national grid for decades, but the PPP government initiated short, medium and long-term power projects to end electricity shortage. The power crisis has not begun today, the country has been facing the problem since 1993. However, the then Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed had realized the gravity of the problem and initiated projects of Independent Power Producers, which were criticized strongly by some elements. After her government, cases were registered against these IPPs and investors were put in jail which discouraged foreign investment in Pakistan.

Haris | 11 years ago | Reply

KESC is much better in handling this situation.... They almost elimnated the problems from various regions of Karachi (which face 0 loadshedding since last 3 years) ... but now this artificial shortfall is being arranged for the poor public of Pakistan, so that they can recieve the so called relief later :s

I have no idea how could the people of Punjab just stay in there homes and face 18 hours of loadshedding everyday .. !! ..

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