Power deficiency leaves WAPDA helpless
Bureau Report

LAHORE—Chairman WAPDA Shakil Durrani has said that load-shedding would be overcome to a great extent by the end of current month. Addressing a press conference at WAPDA House here on Thursday, he said, “We would be able to overcome the current crisis in around 10 days. However, it would take about three weeks to control the situation and by January 30 it would be almost normal”.
Giving causes of the current crisis, he said, “Main transmission line of Hubco of 500 KVA was seriously damaged by blasts on January 1 while suspension in fuel supply due to riots following Benazir Bhutto’s assassination compounded the situation.” WAPDA as well all Independent Power Produces (IPPs) lack fuel storage facility and in case of suspension of supply they are unable to operate their power generation facilities.
He said that under rules IPPs should have sufficient fuel to meet their demands for two weeks so that in case of any untoward situation they continue their power generation operations. However, currently most of them have fuel only to meet their demand for one or two days. “We have approached government for issuance of notices to IPPs in this regard”, told the Chairman.
He said a team of engineers has been sent which would repair the damaged Hubco transmission line within two weeks restoring power supply. He said another problem was that WAPDA was not getting required quantity of natural gas, adding that effective steps have been taken in this regard also and within a week 300 to 500 MW power would be provided through this source also.
He said Kot Addu power plant would also start producing 600 MW power within a week when it gets fuel supply from Karachi. He said power demand in winter season during day time is 8500 MW while at night it increases to 11500 MW. Currently power supply stands at 6500 MW, showing shortage of about one third of total demand.
He said that by January 20 water release from Mangla and Tarbela reservoirs would increase leading to increase in power generation by 600 to 1000 MW, adding that in case of rain the situation would further improve. He said a meeting is going to be held tomorrow with high officials of Railways, two gas companies and IPPs to discuss the ways to avert any such situation in future.
He said that WAPDA officials have held meeting with traders bodies and they are extending full cooperation to minimise affects of load-shedding and appealed domestic consumers to show similar spirit by minimising power consumption. To a question, he said, if Kalabagh dam had been constructed, country would not have faced the current power crisis. He said WAPDA suffer loss of Rs 100 million in Hyderabad area alone during recent incidents of violence. He said three separate committees have been constituted to look into the causes of the current situation and make suggestions to ensure that such situation does not arise in future. The menace of load shedding for 10 to 12 hours daily has once again arrived to haunt the public even in winter times while the care taker government has refused to accept any responsibility for the shortfall of electricity and has emphasized that it is not responsible for the rising inflation and the power crisis.
According to details, four to six hours load-shedding has become a common practise since last many days in Federal Capital, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and other areas while on the other hand skyrocketing gas prices have broken the back of masses. WAPDA Sources told Online that as winters have arrived in the country, demand of electricity has immensely increased to 12000 Megawatt (MW).
It has been told that Electricity deficit in the country has hit a staggering 3,600 MW that has resulted in load shedding upto more than six hours daily in various respective areas of the country. Similarly WAPDA officials say that hydel-power generation hit an all time low at 1,300 MW against a peak summer generation of 6,600 MW due to a squeeze on oil supplies and it generated 2,100MW against a summer supply of 2,900 MW.