Director General Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Ejaz Rafique Qureshi has said uninterrupted power supply to be ensured especially during Sehri and Iftar during Ramazan. The textile industry is likely to bear the brunt for uninterrupted power supply to domestic consumers, which is consuming around 12000MW a day at present.
Talking to Business Recorder, the DG Pepco said the DISCOs are empowered to manage power supply to domestic consumers by cutting 25 percent share of the textile industry as and when required during Sehri and Iftar.
Pepco exempted the textile industry from loadshedding under the textile policy. Qureshi said countrywide textile industry consumption on Pepco system is 150MW. He said the DISCOs are authorised to manage power supply to domestic consumers by slashing some 25 percent of textile industry share during Ramazan.
Besides the textile units, about 400MW electricity is supplied to the textile units generating electricity through alternative sources. All such supplies would be interrupted for about five hours a day during Ramadan, he added. It is learnt that the textile industry representatives have agreed with the Pepco authorities on Ramadan arrangements. Both sides met at Pepco head office on Monday afternoon to discuss and agree changes in power schedule to the Pepco-fed textile mills. The DG Pepco was also of the view that power generation is likely to improve impressively, touching 15000MW from existing level of 12000MW.
According to the DG Pepco, the rampant utilisation of Air Conditioners (ACs) has become one of the biggest problems for Pepco to deal with. He said the ACs are consuming over 5000MW countrywide, which tumbles the demand and supply phenomenon. He has appealed to the affluent consumers to minimise use of Acs during the month of Ramazan. There would be no loadshedding if ACs remains switched off during Ramazan.