In their resolve to improve the power situation in the country, Federal Secretary Water and Power Sikandar Ahmed Rai and Chairman Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Syed Raghib Abbas Shah on Friday visited Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), Jamshoro Thermal Power Station and Lakhra Power Station.
Presiding over a meeting of the senior officers at HESCO Headquarters, the Federal Secretary emphasised the need to bring about a tangible improvement in the performance of the company vis-à-vis customer services, recovery of electricity bills, line losses and power theft. With a view to tackling the financial woes of the power sector, he said, that the outstanding arrears in the public sector be reconciled in the shortest possible time and their recovery be vigorously pursued. He further said that recovery from the private sector consumers be also improved with the support of local and provincial administration.
Addressing the meeting, Wapda Chairman said that the role of power distribution companies is of immense importance to make the power sector viable. The companies, particularly the loss-ridden ones including HESCO, must make concerted efforts to achieve their targets to increase recoveries, lower line losses and curb electricity theft. He also stressed upon improved customer services, adding relief in loadshedding be ensured through effective load management.
HESCO Chief Executive Officer Muzaffar Ali Abbasi gave a detailed presentation on the performance of the company and the problems faced by them. Later, the two top men of the power sector visited the Thermal Power Station Jamshoro. Speaking on the occasion, the Federal Secretary directed the GENCO-I Chief Executive Officer to make efficient use of the fuel to ensure improved availability of electricity units to the National Grid. WAPDA Chairman asked the officials concerned to make a time schedule of units' outages and their maintenance activities well in advance. He made it clear that no time over-runs would be tolerated in this regard.
The Federal Secretary and Wapda Chairman also visited Lakhra Power Station - the only utility-size indigenous coal-fired power station in the country. Expressing annoyance on the closure of the power station, they ordered the GENCO-IV acting Chief Executive Officer to immediately make the power station operational, so that the much needed low-cost electricity generation through coal could be added to the National Grid. The Authorities concerned were also directed to prepare a rehabilitation programme of all the three units through original equipment manufacturers urgently, so that by the end of this year it could generate electricity to its optimal capacity of 150 MW, which was reduced to 35 MW. It is pertinent to mention that once the rehabilitation is completed, the electricity generated by the Lakhra Power Station would be the cheapest in the county after hydel electricity.