Power crisis deepens as Mangla shuts down

LAHORE (Online) The power crisis deepened further Monday, as the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) stopped releasing water from Mangla Dam, resulting in the reduction in power generation by at least 75 megawatt.
A Private TV Channel quoted sources, as saying that the shutdown of water discharge will continue till Jan 20 and the reason behind this decision was shortage of water due to lack of rains.
Mangla Dam can store 300,000 acre feet water but there would be need of 700,000 acre feet water in March and April for irrigation of wheat crops. On the other hand, the electricity shortfall in the country has reached 4,000 megawatt with the extension in loadshedding duration to 17 hours from 9 hours in rural areas and 10 to 12 hours in urban areas.
The current demand of electricity is 11,500 megawatt whereas power generation reduced to 7,500 megawatt from 8,000 megawatt, which deepens the power crisis around the country.
The unannounced loadshedding is badly affecting industrial sector along with domestic consumers. PEPCO officials said the crisis enhanced after closure of dam by IRSA and the situation could be improve after resumption of water discharge.
The consumers demanded PEPCO to divide shortfall equally among the four povinces and VVIPs feeders to end loadshedding. The loadshedding is also causing closure of small factories in Punjab and Peshawar.
Meanwhile, sources added that the generation of electricity further dropped down after complete shutdown of water discharge from Tarbela as well as Mangla.