PESCO agrees to resolve power cut, transmission issues

Power utility blames theft, old transmissions lines, overloaded transformers, unpaid dues

PESHAWAR:

The provincial energy department and the main power generator and distributor in the province have agreed to improve the energy infrastructure, address power cuts and issues related to the sale and purchase of electricity.

This was agreed on Tuesday during a meeting between the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Energy Department and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO). The meeting was chaired by the Advisor to the K-P chief minister on Power and Energy Himayatullah Khan.

The meeting was briefed that power theft, shortage of field staff, old and inefficient transmission lines, overloaded transformers, non-payment of dues were the main reasons for the unannounced and prolonged power cuts in the province.

Further, the meeting was informed that the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on the revenues generated by Pesco. On the positive side, company officials claimed that compared to other provinces, power theft has decreased in the province.

The meeting has also finalised the terms and conditions for the power agreements of the Machai, Koto and Jabori power stations. Issues of outstanding dues of the Pehor hydropower station were also discussed during the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2020.