Citizens face loadshedding up to ten hours as heat intensifies
Business
The incumbent government has approved a policy to shut down markets at 8pm to conserve energy
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE (Dunya News) - As the summer season intensifies across the country, the duration of prolonged load shedding has reached up to 10 hours, with a power shortfall of 6,160 megawatts.
According to power division sources, the total power generation stand at 20,540 megawatts, whereas the electricity demand in the country has rose 26,700 megawatts, making a power shortfall of 6,160 megawatts.
In wake of the increasing energy demand the incumbent government has approved a policy to shut down markets at 8pm in order to conserve energy in wake of the increasing shortfall. But, the crisis is continuously hindering the GDP growth due to unavailability of electricity to industry along with the commoners.
The sources while explaining the breakdown of power generation stated that hydropower generates 8,000 megawatts, government owned thermal power plants are producing 570 megawatts of electricity and private sector powerhouses generate 7,300 megawatts.
According to the power division, wind power plants contribute 1,200 megawatts of electricity, solar power houses generate 120 megawatts, biomass (animal waste) contributes 150 megawatts, and nuclear power plants generate 3,200 megawatts of electricity.
With the rising temperatures, Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has also faced a power demand exceeding 5,400 megawatts, against the provision of 4,600 megawatts of electricity by National Power Control Centre (NPCC) leading to the worst unannounced load shedding.
LESCO is facing a shortfall of 800 megawatts and due to the surging electric deficit the sources claim that load shedding is being carried out for 8 to 10 hours throughout the country along with main areas of Lahore.
However, overloaded transformers in the power transmission system have given in, resulting in multiple areas of the city experiencing hours of power outages due to transformer failures and other technical faults
According to various expert reports, even if Pakistan start generating the electricity according to the needs, the obsolete transmission lines would not be able to bear the burden and the crisis will go unresolved.
Despite the claims that Pakistan has become able to produce surplus energy and can even export energy to neighbouring countries, somehow the public still faces the menace of load-shedding in every summer season and every strategy of preceding governments seems to be failing miserably.
