The Uch Power Company has warned of an imminent shutdown due to a critical shortage of water, citing deteriorating quality and reduced availability from the Pat Feeder Canal, according to a news report.
The company has formally notified the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) that since January 11, 2025, it has been unable to draw sufficient water due to increased conductivity levels and a sharp decline in water volume.
According to Uch Power and Uch-II Power, the situation threatens their ability to generate cost-effective electricity for the national grid, particularly during peak summer demand. The expected canal outages in April 2025 further compound the risks, raising concerns over power supply stability.Â
In response, the Chief Secretary of Balochistan has been urged to intervene and ensure continuous provision of 30 cusecs (16.141 million gallons per day) of water, as stipulated in the 1996 Assistance Agreement.
In letters addressed to PPIB, the company’s Chief Executive Officer highlighted repeated appeals to the Balochistan Irrigation Department, stressing that the rising conductivity—exceeding 600 µSi/cm compared to the normal 300 µSi/cm—has severely impacted operations.Â
Additionally, the canal’s water level has dropped to critical lows, depleting Uch Power’s reserves. Without immediate intervention, the company warned that the upcoming canal outage could halt power generation, leading to significant losses.
The company maintains that any failure to restore adequate water supply would trigger a force majeure event under its Power Purchase Agreement, Implementation Agreement, and Gas Supply Agreement, legally absolving it of responsibility for disruptions. It has called upon PPIB to escalate the issue with the relevant authorities to avoid a shutdown.
