All government sweeping measures to conserve electricity are likely to fizzle out in thin air with present rise in mercury, leading to increase in electricity shortfall with every passing day.
According to the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) spokesman, the power situation in Pakistan is becoming tense now, as the electricity generation in country is 12,450MW against a demand of 15715MW, leaving the system with a shortfall of 3265MW.
The Pepco spokesman added that the KESC is being supplied with 690MW. Out of total generation, the system is getting 4,357MW through hydel sources, 2,431MW through thermal sources, 5,571MW through IPPs and 91MW through Rental Power Plants (RPPs).
It may be noted that the government had announced sweeping measures in the month of April to reduce the menace of load shedding affecting the Pakistani people. The measures included five-day week in government organisations (with extended office timings), closure of shops by 8pm, closure of industrial activities once a week on a staggered basis, cutting power consumption by 50 percent in government offices and residences, disconnecting power to all billboards and neonsigns, putting off alternative streetlights, restricting power supply to marriage halls to three hours a day, discontinuing agricultural connections in peak hours and keeping all air-conditioners shut in offices till 11am.
These measures were finalised in the three-day energy summit, which was attended by the four provincial chief ministers and is expected to cut the power outages by 33 percent.
The gap in demand and supply of electricity has started showing its teeth to the general public, which has crossed the worrisome level of 3,000MW, likely to hit the abnormal level of 5,000MW soon with addition of air conditioners load to the distribution system.
It may be noted that the air conditioners add a direct pressure of 5,000MW on power distribution system historically. The mercury has touched to the abnormal level of 46C and the air conditioners are operating in full bloom, which means all emergency measures to conserve energy would prove futile sooner than later.
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