ISLAMABAD:
All the claims of the federal government on reduced electricity
loadshedding during Ramazan and zero loadshedding during Sehr, Iftar and
Taraveeh prayers fell flat as the people across the country had to face
the worst power outages on the first day of the holy month, making it
hard for them to make preparations for Sehr and Iftar.
In the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the people had to suffer almost 12-hour-long power outages. Before the start of Ramazan, the situation was better as there was only six-hour to eight-hour loadshedding. With the commencement of fasting, the situation got aggravated and the power outages had gone up to 12 hours.
In the adjoining areas of the twin cities like Taxila, Attock, Chakwal, Gujjar Khan, Mandra, Jhelum and others, loadshedding had made the lives of people miserable.In Lahore, power outages during Sehri, Iftar and Taraveeh timings continued, making people’s lives miserable on the first day of Ramazan.
In addition to the curse of erratic power supply, people complained about power failure after every hour throughout the day. They said they felt intensity of outages had increased during the last couple of days. Since 4:00am on the first day of Ramazan, the power supply became disrupted after every hour till 7:00pm, said Khalid Khan, a resident of Bhatti Gate. This type of loadshedding had not been done before Ramazan during the daytime, he said adding that such ‘constant’ power failures also led to water shortages in their area.
The data of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) indicates that power availability during Sehri, Iftar and Taraveeh is not in accordance with the claims made by the Ministry of Water and Power. Against the demand of over 4,500MWs, Lesco is getting just 3,400MWs during Iftar and Taraveeh timings.
Throughout the day, as per the official data, people living in Lesco areas were made to suffer from over 50 percent shortfall in electricity supply. Against the peak demand of about 4,500MWs, Lesco is getting jut 2,400MWs of electricity during the rest of the day. The menace of unannounced loadshedding is in addition to the power suspensions made under the load management plan.
Lesco said on Monday some variations might occur in the revised load management plan for Ramazan due to system overloading issues, especially on grid stations being fed from 220KV New Kot Lakhpat grid station.
Under the revised load management plan, the industry faces the biggest brunt of outages. As many as 12 hours of outages are being observed in textile industry, furnace, continuous process industry and steel re-rolling mills.
Meanwhile, power shortfall was recorded at 4,500MWs on Monday. Power generation was recorded at 13,500MWs while the demand for electricity hovered around 18,000MWs. Hydropower generation was recorded at 5,100MWs.
Other districts of the Punjab, including Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Bhawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, were also the hit by loadshedding.The situation in rural areas of the Punjab was all the more serious as the people had to suffer more than 18 to 20 hours of loadshedding.
The power supply situation in other provinces was no different as in Sindh,particularly in the rural areas, the power outages had gone beyond the limit of human endurance. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the loadshedding issue had become so ugly that around 12 hours of prolonged and unscheduled power loadshedding was being carried out in the province.
In the upper parts of Hazara division, loadshedding added to the woes of the people who were fasting in sweltering heat.The local people complained that they were facing power outages at Sehr and Iftar. “The government had announced to reduce the duration of power outages during Ramazan,” said Mohammad Riaz, a shopkeeper.
He said the government should provide relief to the people in Ramazan and reduce the duration of power outages as the people were braving the scorching heat.“The people are fasting in scorching heat, so the government should provide them some relief,” he said.
Faiz, the leader of a traders body, said that they would take to the streets if the duration of power cuts was not reduced to less than five hours a day.“The government should provide relief to the people as they are fasting in sizzling heat without electricity that is out for hours at a stretch,” he said.
In the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the people had to suffer almost 12-hour-long power outages. Before the start of Ramazan, the situation was better as there was only six-hour to eight-hour loadshedding. With the commencement of fasting, the situation got aggravated and the power outages had gone up to 12 hours.
In the adjoining areas of the twin cities like Taxila, Attock, Chakwal, Gujjar Khan, Mandra, Jhelum and others, loadshedding had made the lives of people miserable.In Lahore, power outages during Sehri, Iftar and Taraveeh timings continued, making people’s lives miserable on the first day of Ramazan.
In addition to the curse of erratic power supply, people complained about power failure after every hour throughout the day. They said they felt intensity of outages had increased during the last couple of days. Since 4:00am on the first day of Ramazan, the power supply became disrupted after every hour till 7:00pm, said Khalid Khan, a resident of Bhatti Gate. This type of loadshedding had not been done before Ramazan during the daytime, he said adding that such ‘constant’ power failures also led to water shortages in their area.
The data of Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) indicates that power availability during Sehri, Iftar and Taraveeh is not in accordance with the claims made by the Ministry of Water and Power. Against the demand of over 4,500MWs, Lesco is getting just 3,400MWs during Iftar and Taraveeh timings.
Throughout the day, as per the official data, people living in Lesco areas were made to suffer from over 50 percent shortfall in electricity supply. Against the peak demand of about 4,500MWs, Lesco is getting jut 2,400MWs of electricity during the rest of the day. The menace of unannounced loadshedding is in addition to the power suspensions made under the load management plan.
Lesco said on Monday some variations might occur in the revised load management plan for Ramazan due to system overloading issues, especially on grid stations being fed from 220KV New Kot Lakhpat grid station.
Under the revised load management plan, the industry faces the biggest brunt of outages. As many as 12 hours of outages are being observed in textile industry, furnace, continuous process industry and steel re-rolling mills.
Meanwhile, power shortfall was recorded at 4,500MWs on Monday. Power generation was recorded at 13,500MWs while the demand for electricity hovered around 18,000MWs. Hydropower generation was recorded at 5,100MWs.
Other districts of the Punjab, including Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Multan, Bhawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, were also the hit by loadshedding.The situation in rural areas of the Punjab was all the more serious as the people had to suffer more than 18 to 20 hours of loadshedding.
The power supply situation in other provinces was no different as in Sindh,particularly in the rural areas, the power outages had gone beyond the limit of human endurance. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the loadshedding issue had become so ugly that around 12 hours of prolonged and unscheduled power loadshedding was being carried out in the province.
In the upper parts of Hazara division, loadshedding added to the woes of the people who were fasting in sweltering heat.The local people complained that they were facing power outages at Sehr and Iftar. “The government had announced to reduce the duration of power outages during Ramazan,” said Mohammad Riaz, a shopkeeper.
He said the government should provide relief to the people in Ramazan and reduce the duration of power outages as the people were braving the scorching heat.“The people are fasting in scorching heat, so the government should provide them some relief,” he said.
Faiz, the leader of a traders body, said that they would take to the streets if the duration of power cuts was not reduced to less than five hours a day.“The government should provide relief to the people as they are fasting in sizzling heat without electricity that is out for hours at a stretch,” he said.
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