SPOTLIGHT: Dreaming one's way towards some relief!: Waiting with bated breath for steady power!

Eyes are fixed as never before on what the new government under heavily mandated Nawaz Sharif is going to do, say over the next three months, towards taking effective steps in tackling several problems all calling for urgent attention. A cash-strapped government, runaway public debt, rampant corruption, desperate poverty, next to no healthcare for those who need it most, education in shambles (with ghost schools, galloping illiteracy and cheating galore at exams), runaway inflation and neither last nor the least, the killing power shortage across the country. This last is what I wish to talk about here.
Problem "nurtured" to grow strong!
As long back as 2009 in a Spotlight column I had taken stock of the very bad power situation prevailing then since two years already and had compiled a list of suggestions - both short-term and long-term - based on what experienced professionals had proposed as the short and medium-term remedies. I am aghast that President Zardari's government spent five years without an attempt, serious or even make-believe, to try to give a thought to any of the ideas put forward. A bad situation was so to say "nursed and nurtured" to grow and become much more difficult to handle. In the same vein I cannot help wondering why did not our rulers, while they were allegedly busy in corrupt practices to enrich themselves, also find some time to at least do some good for the country and the common man. Much would have been forgiven in that case and they would not have had to face the present ignominy of a decisive rout in the elections across the country except in pockets.
The enigmatic circular debt
The circular debt (now risen to nearly Rs 900 billion from Rs 160 billion in 2008) sits among other matters at the core of power shortage problem. Now what is this circular debt? Here is a simplistic explanation: Oil importing companies are not able to import and supply oil to power producing companies because they are themselves cash-strapped due to outstanding bills for oil supplied. Power producers in turn are not able to pay for oil supplied to them because they too have unpaid bills against consumers (mainly enterprises or offices under government control). Thus credit dries up at every stage and the power production cycle comes to a grinding halt. Government has borrowed time over the years by injecting small sums and resorting more and more to loadshedding. No medium or long-term remedies were attempted.
My circular debt "dream"!
In my dream I see the head of the state (not Zardari) appealing to the very rich of the country to come forward with a one billion rupee interest-free loan each to be paid back in 3 years which gets Rs 100 billion in response. Then follows a similar appeal to hundreds upon thousands of Pakistanis working abroad to come forward with their own contributions on the same patriotic terms, the appeals together resulting in a Rs 1,000 billion loan which would redeem the circular debt and provide substantial immediate relief. If necessary, a temporary surcharge of say 10% could be levied on power bills (to help pay back the loans) which the consumers would be happy to pay for an improved power supply. The names of the contributors would find a place on a unique Roll Call of Honour.
Line losses and "kunda-proof" wiring
So-called line losses are a perennial problem with power distributors. Whereas efficient companies keep such losses limited to a single digit, KESC's losses, for example, have ranged between 30 and 40% - an astronomical figure, the bulk of which is attributed to power theft by of highly visible "Kundas" (now beginning to even directly "tap" PMTs themselves) or by other more sophisticated devices. KESC has repeatedly expressed helplessness in the matter because illegal connections removed are immediately reconnected. Strong government action has been totally missing. The sight of living quarters of the police force embellished with "Kundas" has made any talk of corrective action laughable! But KESC had committed a long time back it had a technical solution to the power theft problem involving the use of special wiring which "Kundas" cannot tap. Nothing has been heard about this since, though. How come?
Easy pickings ignored, "x %" preferred
A very practicable and "easy pickings" solution offered by a retired Wapda expert concerned reactivating a number of small power producing units lying dormant over the years for one part of the infrastructure partially damaged or missing: may be a turbine damaged, may be a boiler needs replacement while the rest of the infrastructure is intact. A government serious enough to remedy the situation and reduce people's misery would have surveyed all such sites to determine what could be salvaged. But as everyone knows that is hard work and there are no quick gains for oneself as in case of a big long-term project which can yield mouth watering "kickbacks" or a nice "x percent"!
Missing: a role model
I remember a time when India was suffering from an acute shortage of food grain and also lacked the financial means to import food. The government started a miss-a-meal campaign for the entire population. Quite apart from the practical value of such a scheme the point to make here is that the then PM of the country, Morarji Desai also scrupulously followed the "miss-a-meal" advice. What about our rulers? A survey would have confirmed the fact that throughout the power shortage period (which forced closure of thousands of small enterprises and caused mass starvation) the Presidency, the PM House, the ministerial offices and homes (and those of their countless minions) all used power for their lavish lighting, cooking and air conditioning as if power was available aplenty!
My dream!
In another dream I see the Chief Executive of the country setting an example of using power sparingly for all to see while the power crisis exists. I also see the PM coming on TV screen exhorting all power users to do the sensible thing with repeated messages like "whenever you put a switch on in your house or office try to see if another switch can be turned off" or "at bed time make sure that only the essential lights are left on" or "when you are reasonably comfortable with a fan, do not use the A/C" and so on. In numerous cases this is possible and a habit developed to economise on power could make power available as an immediate interim payoff to at least some people and enterprises who suffer grievously without it.
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