Pakistan

A six point strategy for power crisis?

Express April 19, 2010

LAHORE: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, has said that the energy conference has looked into evolving a six-point strategy to solve the power crisis.

The Pakistan Electric Power Company resorted to unscheduled power outages on Monday to overcome a shortfall of more than 5,500 megawatts.

Big cities remained without power for 12 hours while small cities, villages and towns were without electricity for 20 hours in a day. The total power demand is 15,500 megawatts while the total electricity generation in the country is 10,000 megawatts.

MD PEPCO Basharat Cheema has said the outflow of 10,000 cusecs of water from Tarbela Dam from April 21st will help to reduce this shortfall.

He said reopening of closed power plants will also bridge gap between demand and supply in the coming days.

COMMENTS (7)

Mazhar | 13 years ago | Reply Our govts do not plan long term strategy, it is very strange that the govt is asking save electricity by close offices, industries, mills, street lights, etc. Shuuting of office and busniess or street lioghts is not a solution. Shutting of office & industry will ruin our economy, and shuttin of street lights will encourage the street theive to make thier ways. Has govt planned any solution for that, even the matter has not been discuseed by the government authorities. Why not the govt asks the nation to make it off and announce 3-4 weeks holidays by giving a certian advance deadline and only utmost required offices should be opened. During the period, govt should activily take firm steps and press hard all power generation companies to start production.

Waheed Ullah | 13 years ago | Reply Dams Dams Dams and only Dams

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Adil | 13 years ago | Reply The main issue is the circular debt. The government itself is the greatest defaulter of WAPDA. If the government pays all its bills, we the poor civilians would not have to pay for the deficit and bear the brunt of their non-payments. When will the government understand that it is time to take drastic measures in order to save a situation like what has happened in Kazakhastan.

Arshad Ghumro | 13 years ago | Reply We are suggesting other means, what about our Thal Coal Reserves, most of the countries like US, China, Australia, India are meeting their electricity demands through utilization of coal, but why can't we do this.

Zahid | 13 years ago | Reply Please build all sorts of DAMS soon, and in large cities like KARACHI, 90% electricity is being stolen by all people. You have the power and you are elected to solve the problem and to find the permanent solution with low cost and effective and efficient ways, rather then sitting conveying the meetings eating drinking and do nothing. Remember that, you are to serve the nation. you all are onus for the outages. And you all can overcome the problem in persuasive ways

Mohtashim | 13 years ago | Reply Destroying the economy is not a way to resolve the power crisis. Shutting down commerce will only lead to detriment for an already fragile economy. The only viable solution is to build a decentralized infrastructure and subsidize renewable energy backup sources (solar for example) for residential customers. most power needs (save a/cs,etc) can now be easily support for several hours a day via a very simple solar+battery system. the solutions staring the government in the face.

Syed A. Mateen | 13 years ago | Reply The government should take a firm decision to declare Saturday and Sunday as public holidays. No commercial establishment, including the shops and bazaars where electricity is consumed should be allowed to open on Saturdays and Sundays until the last day November 2010. This practice should continue from March 01 till November 30 every year and without fail. Moreover, all shops, shopping plazas and bazaars should be shut down by 7pm during working days. Violators should be heavily fined. Shopkeepers should open all shops at 9am in the morning till 7pm in the evening. This is the only way to provide relieve to the residential consumers who are coming out every day on the roads and streets and raising slogans against the government.

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