Electricity shortfall in Pakistan has reached 6500 along with power outages of upto eight hours in the country, despite an announcement from the government to bring down loadshedding to three and a half hours.
According to sources in the power division, the demand for electricity
peaked at 28,000 MW against the available supply of 22,000 MW, bringing the
shortfall to 6500 MW.
They said that some of the urban centres and rural areas are experiencing
loadshedding between six to eight hours, contrary to the government’s claim
of reducing the duration.
Moreover, the electricity quota of LESCO has been raised to 5000 MW against
an existing demand of 5,700 MW, resulting in a shortfall of 700 MW. The
LESCO has issued a loadshedding duration of a three-and-a-half-hour.
Meanwhile, the sources shared that an improvement in supply of gas, and
furnace oil have been witnessed to the power plants and the duration of
loadshedding will be reduced in the coming days.
It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister and Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has announced that
the power loadshedding would be reduced to 3.5 hours from Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad flanked by federal ministers,
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the country’s electricity demand has exceeded
25,000MW.
He pointed out that when the current government assumed charge, the
electricity generation capacity was at 17,000MW which was increased to more
than 21,000MW.
Previously, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the power authorities
to limit loadshedding across the country to two hours, warning that he
wanted results not explanations over the matter.
