KARACHI/ISLAMABAD:
The country on Sunday witnessed the worst spell of loadshedding after
five units of the Mangla Dam broke down.
Loadshedding is likely to increase in various cities after the power shortfall in the country exceeded 4,500 megawatts (MW) from 3,500MW.According to sources, thermal power plants are not producing electricity according to their capacity despite sufficient fuel supply. They said the power distribution companies were providing low voltage to reduce the duration of loadshedding .
The sources further said that the duration of loadshedding could be increased to 16 hours.Several areas of the country are experiencing power outages of 12-15 hours daily while the situation in some cities of the Punjab is even worse.
Power generation in the country stands at 13,350 MW while demand is 16,900MW.Meanwhile, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali has claimed that the government is proactively executing diverse programmes to overcome the energy crisis.
Meanwhile, four people died of sunstroke and dozens others were hospitalised as the mercury rose to almost 50 degrees centigrade in several cities of the country on Sunday.According to reports, three persons, including two-year-old Arzoo of village 82/6-R, Ahsan, 10, and 32-year-old Muhammad Aslam hailing from village 67/5-R of Sahiwal, fell unconscious due to sunstrokes. They were shifted to hospitals where they expired.
Ahmed Deen, 65, of village 62/5-R died after exposure to the heatwave.Meanwhile, dozens of people affected by intense hot weather were shifted to different hospitals in Sahiwal where, according to medics, the condition of three was critical.
The citizens have expressed grave concern over the nearly 15 hours of loadshedding daily and demanded that the provincial government improve power supply.In Karachi, temperature was recorded at 40 degrees centigrade on Sunday morning. Rural Sindh is also suffering from the intense heat wave. Extremely high temperatures were recorded in various cities of the province including Jacobabad, Nawabshah, Larkana, and Sukkur. However, the temperature is likely to drop in the province from Monday (today).
In Punjab, the situation is no different as the heat wave is prevalent in most parts of the province. Extremely hot weather has gripped most of the plain areas of Punjab including, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur divisions.
Severely hot weather also grips many parts of Balochistan, including Turbat and Sibi division, whereas the use of cold drinks has increased due to the heat.The Met Office has predicted that the heatwave would continue to grip most plains areas of the country for the next few days.
An intense summer is also being witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The citizens are visiting parks, canals, beaches and recreational spots to battle the weather whereas the demand for cold beverages has also increased.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has predicted rain with thunderstorm in some areas of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Malakand and Hazara Division.Jacobabad remained the hottest area during the last 24 hours where the temperature recorded was 50°C, while the maximum temperature recorded in other cities were: Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Moenjodaro, Sibi 49°C; Noorpur Thal, Rohri, Shaheed Benazirabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Padidan and Turbat 48°C.
Our correspondent from Lahore adds: With a high mercury level on Sunday, a majority of citizens thronged the city canal and other water spots to beat the heat.With loadshedding and severe heat, a large number of Lahorites went to the Lahore canal to beat the heat. All swimming pools and other water sports facilities were packed. Hours-long traffic jam was also witnessed at the canal road near Jallo Morr.
Met officials said the highest maximum temperature in the city was recorded as 46.3 C. They predicted very hot and mainly dry weather with chances of dust raising winds for the next 24 hours. They said a westerly wave lying over the extreme northern parts of the country had moved away eastwards while the seasonal low pressure lies over northern Balochistan.
Sale of plastic paddling pools has also increased in the city. A vendor sitting at the roadside in Faisal Town said since the morning he had sold over ten large and five small pools.
Loadshedding is likely to increase in various cities after the power shortfall in the country exceeded 4,500 megawatts (MW) from 3,500MW.According to sources, thermal power plants are not producing electricity according to their capacity despite sufficient fuel supply. They said the power distribution companies were providing low voltage to reduce the duration of loadshedding .
The sources further said that the duration of loadshedding could be increased to 16 hours.Several areas of the country are experiencing power outages of 12-15 hours daily while the situation in some cities of the Punjab is even worse.
Power generation in the country stands at 13,350 MW while demand is 16,900MW.Meanwhile, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali has claimed that the government is proactively executing diverse programmes to overcome the energy crisis.
Meanwhile, four people died of sunstroke and dozens others were hospitalised as the mercury rose to almost 50 degrees centigrade in several cities of the country on Sunday.According to reports, three persons, including two-year-old Arzoo of village 82/6-R, Ahsan, 10, and 32-year-old Muhammad Aslam hailing from village 67/5-R of Sahiwal, fell unconscious due to sunstrokes. They were shifted to hospitals where they expired.
Ahmed Deen, 65, of village 62/5-R died after exposure to the heatwave.Meanwhile, dozens of people affected by intense hot weather were shifted to different hospitals in Sahiwal where, according to medics, the condition of three was critical.
The citizens have expressed grave concern over the nearly 15 hours of loadshedding daily and demanded that the provincial government improve power supply.In Karachi, temperature was recorded at 40 degrees centigrade on Sunday morning. Rural Sindh is also suffering from the intense heat wave. Extremely high temperatures were recorded in various cities of the province including Jacobabad, Nawabshah, Larkana, and Sukkur. However, the temperature is likely to drop in the province from Monday (today).
In Punjab, the situation is no different as the heat wave is prevalent in most parts of the province. Extremely hot weather has gripped most of the plain areas of Punjab including, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur divisions.
Severely hot weather also grips many parts of Balochistan, including Turbat and Sibi division, whereas the use of cold drinks has increased due to the heat.The Met Office has predicted that the heatwave would continue to grip most plains areas of the country for the next few days.
An intense summer is also being witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The citizens are visiting parks, canals, beaches and recreational spots to battle the weather whereas the demand for cold beverages has also increased.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has predicted rain with thunderstorm in some areas of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Malakand and Hazara Division.Jacobabad remained the hottest area during the last 24 hours where the temperature recorded was 50°C, while the maximum temperature recorded in other cities were: Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Moenjodaro, Sibi 49°C; Noorpur Thal, Rohri, Shaheed Benazirabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Padidan and Turbat 48°C.
Our correspondent from Lahore adds: With a high mercury level on Sunday, a majority of citizens thronged the city canal and other water spots to beat the heat.With loadshedding and severe heat, a large number of Lahorites went to the Lahore canal to beat the heat. All swimming pools and other water sports facilities were packed. Hours-long traffic jam was also witnessed at the canal road near Jallo Morr.
Met officials said the highest maximum temperature in the city was recorded as 46.3 C. They predicted very hot and mainly dry weather with chances of dust raising winds for the next 24 hours. They said a westerly wave lying over the extreme northern parts of the country had moved away eastwards while the seasonal low pressure lies over northern Balochistan.
Sale of plastic paddling pools has also increased in the city. A vendor sitting at the roadside in Faisal Town said since the morning he had sold over ten large and five small pools.
