Masses groan at unscheduled loadshedding

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD/KARACHI - The smooth electricity supply has become a far dream for electricity consumers in Pakistan as WAPDA resorted to an average of 14 to 18 hours loadshedding, depending on the different localities, throughout the country on Friday as the electricity shortfall touched 4905 MW.

Rural people who pay heavy bills alongwith number of taxes to the electric supply distribution companies (DISCOs), were hit hard by facing longer intervals of power cut-off up to three hours at a stretch, bearing the brunt of utility’s inefficiency, which has shifted the blame on the curtailment in water releases from dams.

Meanwhile,four Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have stopped ,adding, electricity to the PEPCO system.

Talking to The Nation, the sources said that the DISCOs were no more in command in providing electricity after the record shortfall hit the country while the National Transmission Control Centre (NTC) after taking command observes more than 14 intervals of power stoppage of an hour within 24 hours despite the claims that 6 hour power supplies cut-off would be observed on feeders at a time on the system.

DISCOs do not command the confidence of their subscribers due to their poor quality of service. Consumers are often facing unannounced loadshedding for long intervals in many parts of the country. In the rural areas particularly, consumers have to wait for days, sometimes weeks, for restoration of electricity, especially if any damage or breakage in the lines, transformers occurs interrupting the transmission and distribution system of the DISCOs, the sources said.

The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has initiated different loadshedding schedule by rotating the daily schedule of the alternative areas.

The LESCO sources confirmed that that the company started revising the loadshedding schedule on daily basis. They said that the company had been putting loadshedding pressure on typical feeders and provide some relief by next day.

The sources said that outstanding payment of IPPs amounted to Rs 70 billion, which the IPPs have been raising with WAPDA, claiming that they were kept in darkness, as not a single among them was taken into confidence during the whole process.

The sources said that the delay in payment to Pakistan State Oil (PSO) had also put the PSO in serious financial crisis, which supplies furnace oil to public power generation companies. They said that PSO was in serious financial crisis following the non or partial payment of its dues by the PEPCO.

They said that the National Energy Conservation Plan apparently could not take off as Pakistan electric Power Company (PEPCO) could hardly manage to save 97 MW in its bid to overcome 4000 MW power shortage after its appeal seeking closure of shops by 8 pm.

The shopkeepers of almost all the busy shopping areas throughout the country did not close their shops by 8 pm and continued their routine business as there was no notification issued by the govt.

All the 16 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have been ignoring the govt directions issued time and again for maintaining 21 days furnace oil stock, however, they are keep on running their units with the furnace oil stocks only for couple of days consumption owing to the delay in their outstanding payments, the sources said.

The govt has served notices on Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for not maintaining required furnace oil stocks to ensure uninterrupted power generation in crisis-like situation, however, the lack of follow up on part of the govt inducing the IPPs to keep on running their units on almost daily basis.

The sources said that the govt served notices on IPPs on December 31 seeking explanation for failing to honour contractual obligation of maintaining furnace oil stocks inventory for their requirement for power generation. IPPs as per contract are required to maintain furnace oil inventory for minimum 21 days.

Report from Islamabad: Contrary to the claims of the government that loadshedding would go down after the peak summer season, masses in general are being subjected to increased, unannounced, and discriminatory electricity outages.