Director General Energy Management, Tahir Basharat Cheema hoping improvement in the prevailing power supply conditions by the end of this month said government is making strenuous efforts to enhance generation capacity.
In a telephonic interview to a private television channel late on Wednesday night the DG said the existing power system is burdened with high demand as the generation capacity was not matched with the increasing demand for electricity in the country during the last decade.
He said that immediate installation of new power stations is imperative to come out of the power shortage. The government has put a comprehensive programme in the process of implementation under which the rental power stations worth capacity of 1203 MW would be installed from April 2009 to June 2009.
Moreover he said that hydal stations with the capacity of 516 MW are also under the process of completion. Malakand 3 power station with a capacity of 81 MW of this chain has already been completed while the rest would become functional during years 2009-10, he added. He said the capacity of the existing thermal power stations would be enhanced by 309 MW. The increase in the tariff was aimed at raising funds for the capacity expansion projects, he said adding the backlog of the dues of PSO, IPPs and Gas Companies is rapidly and regularly being cleared.
He called upon the people to co-operate with the authorities in reducing the gravity of the problem by lowering their power consumption and avoiding unnecessary use of electrical gadgets as well as switching off surplus lights.
Everyone can help in this crisis by conserving electricity, which would also help lower their electricity bills, he remarked. To another question he reiterated the government's claim that by the end of 2009 the loadshedding scenario would come to an end while the permanent solution of power shortage conditions would be made in next two years.