A student studying with the help of emergency light during power outage in Karachi. PHOTO: INP
ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government has ordered release of funds worth Rs10 billion to control the ongoing power crisis, Express News reported on Monday.
The move comes just a week after the interim setup told the Finance Ministry to release Rs22 billion for the same purpose.
As summer arrived, power outages across the country soared, with many places experiencing power cuts for as long as 20 hours a day. Adding to the problem, Pakistan has experienced record high temperatures over the last week.
According to recent data, the power shortfall has crossed 6,500 megawatts.
The total demand for power is 15,700 megawatts, whereas around 9,000s megawatt energy is produced only.
It has also been reported that power stations are currently producing energy well below their capacity.
Experts had warned that there could be even longer power outages in the near future due to the non availability of oil for independent power plants unless the government acts.
These power plants need 32,000 tonnes of oil a day to operate at full capacity, but currently receive less then 20,000 tonnes.
WAPDA exempts Mirpur from load shedding
Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) issued notification, exempting Mirpur from load shedding, Express News reported.
The order came after the residents of the area protested against power outages.
COMMENTS (18)
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@Indian: I understand your pain but Nuke keeps neighborhood bullies away.
@Indian: Go .... yourself.
Too little too late!
Hey, but did not you guys say "we will eat grass to produce Nukes"? Situation is much better today than eating grass, look at the positive side.
You can perch yourself on the power lines and get the same feeling as the crow these days.
Ittefaq foubdaries should pay the electricity bills so we don't have to pay for it
@Jim:
Haha...good one mate.
Why dont we get rid of this thing called Electricity once and for all. Ever since I have opened my eyes all i have seen is load shedding and power crisis, never realised that we will also run short of gas... We should revert back to the times when there was no electricity... our lives will eventually become much better because, corruption and mismanagement is not going to change, Slavery from IMF is not going to change, and the only way to control this big mass of people is through manipulating electricity, gas and fuel. Make the masses suffer so much so they forget what normal life, what progress is and what freedom is.
This step of releasing funds in bits and pieces is not a solution for a longer term. The Govt knows very well where the problem lies and this aspect of curing the disease in the bud is all what is needed. There is no short cut to this alarming situation and it is time , the problem which is duagnosied is cured before it becomes fatal.
Good luck
The major reason of power crisis is due to massive decline in electricity production from Independent Thermal Power Plants due to non payment of circular debt of 500 billions.The new governments short term action plan for overcoming power crisis envisages sale of treasury bills for payment of circular debt instead of recovering billions of electricity arrears from the provincial governments, federal government departments and corporations and influential private defaulters. Hence obtaining more costly loans for paying the circular debt. Likewise, 2200 mega watt electricity will be purchased from 70 plus sugar mills, the strategy that has already failed in the previous government as the owners of these mills demanded a very high per unit price. Such like measures if implemented will result in a tremendous increase in the electricity bills.
Pakistan needs more nuclear weapons and missiles.
The money spent on every other project regardless of the merits of the project (Metro Bus etc) is a total waste unless the basic need of electricity is fulfilled. But I really don't think the new government will learn anything, I can bet my next paycheck, they will not add a single mega-watt of new power in the next 5 years.
"power stations are currently producing energy well below their capacity."
Irrespective of how many billions you shell out from tax payers money, energy shortfall will still exist. In actual fact the common man is shelling out money for the electricity bills, then using genset / ups to supplement during outages & then shelling out taxes to pay for the "funds".
We are paying threefold for generation of electricity. No mention here of the kunda system & electricity defaulters
Increasing petrol price, they earn more than it. Loadshedding at it's worse in paris cum lahore of khadim-e-aaalaa
Releasing billions of Rupees for their Pockets.... Someone is beneficiary.
Ten billion rupees fresh off printers. Unaffectionately known as Inflation Tax, paid by common man.
Where is the Rs 10 Billion?. Exchequer is nearly empty..................................