Electricity crisis once again resurfaced in Industrial City as power shortfall has reached to 700MW, while the duration of load shedding has also increased up to 17 to 20 hours and industrial sector facing production loss in term of Rs 340 million per day due to non-availability of electricity, gas and other fuel for generators etc.
The demand of electricity in Fesco region is running between 1,300 to 1,400 MW, electricity supply stands at 6,500 MW. With the start of summer season, load shedding duration has extended up to 17 to 18 hours in industrial city and 18 to 20 hours in rural areas. Pepco sources hoped that the situation will be improve in coming few days when water level will be increased in the dams and it will also reduce load shedding span.
People from the different localities and villages of the Faisalabad told newsmen about their miseries due to long and unscheduled power outages in their areas. In the city areas, shopkeepers stated that the load shedding duration of electricity was varying on a daily basis especially in working hours and yielding negative impact over the business activities.
Mehmood Alam Jatt, Secretary Anjuman-e-Tajran said power was going off for four hours duration just after supply of one hour, adding that sometimes loadshedding duration rose up to a continuous five hours during the day. Similar reports had been forwarded by residents of Ghulam Muhammadabad Colony, Faizabad, Sir Syed Town, Factory area, Saifabad, Khurrianwala, Jaranwala, Tandlianwala and Gojra etc. Some even reported outages for seven hours in Thikreewala, Pansara and other localities of Jhang Road areas.
Local industrialists, traders and leaders of JI Faisalabad observed that the government was very incompetent as it was devising no policy to control power outages by energy generation. They mentioned that different areas have different duration for loadshedding, which shows the mismanagement of the Pepco's distribution system. Faisalabad, the industrial hub of the country, also faces 16-18 hours outages and duration is expected to increase in coming days.
There is no proper schedule and limit of outages in the areas of Sargodha road including small industrial estate, while there are instances when power remained suspended for five hours continuously in Dijkot. Talking to newsmen, Khuwaja Shahid Razzaq Sikka, President Anjuman-e-Tajran expressed grave concerned over the prolonged loadshedding of electricity and observed that the negligence and corruption is the main factor of this crisis.
He mentioned that Gas Turbine Unit of 200MW is closed or partially working due to non-supply of the gas. He said that the commission mafia is gaining benefits at the cost of electricity crisis as well as the miserable situation of the people. Labour leaders also expressed grave concern over the loadshedding and stated that the on going crisis is yielding unemployment due to closures of the factories.