Power department to fix fuses on poles
Gilgit power dept has decided to fix the fuses on electricity poles in a bid to curb the misuse of domestic power.
GILGIT:
In a bid to curb the misuse of power by domestic consumers, the Gilgit power department has decided to fix the fuses on electricity poles, a senior government official said.
“The decision has been taken to control misuse of electricity so that a smooth supply of power to the residents can be ensured in the town,” the official said on Monday.
Inhabited by over 20,000 individuals, Gilgit town faces a massive power shortfall during winter as the demand for electricity rises tremendously given the intensity of the weather, forcing people to use electric heaters to keep their houses warm.
Until last winter, the average electricity available to households in Gilgit was around 4 hours out of 48 hours and that continued till March.
However, the situation this year seemed much better though outages have still occurred quite frequently.
Once the fuses are installed on the electricity polls, consumers using more than 1,000 watts power at a time will have their lines disconnected automatically, the official said, adding that consumers will then use electricity carefully.
He said that currently over 20,000 registered consumers were using electricity in their houses in the town while the production was about 16 mega watts. The requirement, he said, is 2,600 mega watts at the moment.
Naltar power project generates 16 mega watts but has the maximum capability of 18 mega watts, he said and added that the production of the other two power projects including Kargah power project and Guroo power project has been bellow par due to the damage caused by the recent floods.
People’s miseries are compounded in winter as not only the power shortfall increases but also the shortage of fuel wood and other facilities in the region where the temperature plummets bellow 10 degree Celsius from the middle of November till February ends. Such circumstances leave them depended upon electricity only, to cook food and keep themselves warm.
Meanwhile, the residents in the Kashrote area late Sunday blocked the main road and burnt tyres protesting against the power outages in the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2010.
In a bid to curb the misuse of power by domestic consumers, the Gilgit power department has decided to fix the fuses on electricity poles, a senior government official said.
“The decision has been taken to control misuse of electricity so that a smooth supply of power to the residents can be ensured in the town,” the official said on Monday.
Inhabited by over 20,000 individuals, Gilgit town faces a massive power shortfall during winter as the demand for electricity rises tremendously given the intensity of the weather, forcing people to use electric heaters to keep their houses warm.
Until last winter, the average electricity available to households in Gilgit was around 4 hours out of 48 hours and that continued till March.
However, the situation this year seemed much better though outages have still occurred quite frequently.
Once the fuses are installed on the electricity polls, consumers using more than 1,000 watts power at a time will have their lines disconnected automatically, the official said, adding that consumers will then use electricity carefully.
He said that currently over 20,000 registered consumers were using electricity in their houses in the town while the production was about 16 mega watts. The requirement, he said, is 2,600 mega watts at the moment.
Naltar power project generates 16 mega watts but has the maximum capability of 18 mega watts, he said and added that the production of the other two power projects including Kargah power project and Guroo power project has been bellow par due to the damage caused by the recent floods.
People’s miseries are compounded in winter as not only the power shortfall increases but also the shortage of fuel wood and other facilities in the region where the temperature plummets bellow 10 degree Celsius from the middle of November till February ends. Such circumstances leave them depended upon electricity only, to cook food and keep themselves warm.
Meanwhile, the residents in the Kashrote area late Sunday blocked the main road and burnt tyres protesting against the power outages in the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2010.