Minister For Averting Unscheduled Loadshedding

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf Saturday directed the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) to do away with unscheduled loadshedding in the country.

Presiding over a high level meeting with PEPCO and WAPDA officials to review the current power situation and load management in the country, he directed that in no case the DISCOs, whose Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have been designated as the concerned responsible officers, will conduct load management in cities for more than 9 hours and for a maximum of 11 hours in the rural areas.

This decision has been taken due to decrease in water releases from Tarbela and Mangla on account of lower provincial indents to conserve water for sowing wheat crop and curtailment of gas for power plants w.e.f October 13 on account of closure of Qadirpur and Sehwan Gas fields.

He directed that textile industry, fed through independent power feeders, will necessarily be provided continuous supply of power for two shifts.

It was also directed that power looms, depending upon their location will be provided continuous supply for a minimum of 8 hours.

The continuous process industry, again fed through independent feeders, will be provided continuous supply for 24 hours provided these units assist the DISCOs through 50 percent reduction in load
during peak hours.

The meeting also decided that Steel Furnace Industry would be provided continuous supply for 12 hours each day (midnight to noon).

It is pertinent to mention here that the given programme was approved by Federal Minister up to the end of the current month, with the hope that the situation will ease up within a fortnight.

The meeting was informed that present power shortages would be reduced from November onwards. With reduced power deficits, it was hoped that the duration of load management would also be reduced.

The Federal Minister categorically said that the CEOs of DISCOs would be available at all times for the media and other stakeholders to explain the day to day position and various steps being taken to
improve the situation.

It was informed that a large number of new power plants were in various stages of completion, as a result of which loadshedding would be brought to an end by the end of 2009.

It was also explained that this time period was needed because of the fact that no generation could be added in the power sector during last decade.

The Federal Minister requested the public to help end this crisis through conversation of energy.

He appealed to the media to help the Ministry of Water and Power and PEPCO in discharge of their duties and inform the public about the actual reasons of the crises and the various steps being undertaken to counter the same on a fast track.

Secretary, Additional Secretary, Advisor of Ministry of Water and Power, MD PEPCO, CEOs, DISCOs and other senior officials of the Ministry also attended the meeting.


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