Load Shedding now upto 12 hours a day

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Again, this is a good indication of how things are shaping up, as far as the country’s economy in concerned, but worry not, lets blame this on BB and NS too!

ISLAMABAD: 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.
Sources further added that as demand of electricity and gas has immeasurably increased in the country, common man has to face the major brunt.
WAPDA has exempted all hospitals, Military installations and Railway stations which has asserted additional pressure on common man.
Thus additional load is transferred to the general public in this regard.
Subsequently, when Responsible in the Government was asked about their stance, then their stance was clear that they must not be held responsible for the ongoing dilemma in the country thus holding past Government responsible for it. They were of the view that the Government is not interested as they have only come with a mandate of holding free and fair polls in the country, that’s it.

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=122841

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Re: Load Shedding now upto 12 hours a day

Man, Energy crisis must really be hurting the economy...:(

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Re: Load Shedding now upto 12 hours a day

Its now started to take lives:

‘WAPDA behind girls’ burning’
*Staff Report *

LAHORE: Family and relatives of two deceased girls, who were burnt alive when a burning candle fell on their blanket while they were fast asleep on Wednesday night, protested against WAPDA on Thursday.

Reportedly, at about 2am on Wednesday a fire broke out in Ramzan’s house in Rampura, Batapur, when a candle fell on the blanket.

Ramzan was not at home at the time of the incident, as he went to attend a wedding along with his brother. Ramzan’s wife had already passed away. Three said children of Ramzan were alone at their home and when supply of electricity got disconnected and they three after lighting the candle went to sleep. Due to the fire Yasmeen, Ismat and Asghar were burnt.

The locals tried to save the children, but they could manage to save Asghar. They rushed him to Mayo Hospital, where according to doctors he was in critical condition.

On Thursday, Yasmeen and Ismat were laid to rest in the presence of hundreds of neighbours and their relatives. After the burial ceremony locals of the area blocked the GT Road and protest against the Wapda officials for the suspension of electricity.

Heavy contingents of police reached the spot and dispersed the people and opened the GT Road for traffic. Ramzan said load shedding had become a routine matter. He held WAPDA officials responsible for the deaths of her two daughters.

Locals of the area said they had tried their best to extinguish the fire, but to no avail. They said the fire brigade officials also reached the spot late.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\01\04\story_4-1-2008_pg13_6

!!!now open: PaaN WaaN ki DukaaN... (a.k.a. PWD)
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Re: Load Shedding now upto 12 hours a day

9 years of absolute rule, billions in direct and indirect aid flowing into the country, yet the situation is even worse than BB or NS time.

Shame Musharraf, Shame

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Re: Load Shedding now upto 12 hours a day

SIGH, this dictator has destroyed our judiciary, and is destroying our industries

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=12089

All steel units grind to a halt for 15 days

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/images/shim.gif

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/images/shim.gif

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/images/shim.gif

Markets to remain shut for two hours from 8th; textile mills to have no power for five hours daily

ISLAMABAD: All steel melting units across the country have been closed down for 15 days with immediate effect while markets will remain closed for two hours from January 8 to save about 800 MW of electricity. The step has been taken to cope with the unprecedented power deficit that currently stands at 2,000-3,500 MW.

In addition, power supply to textile mills will remain cut off for five hours per day from 5 pm to 10 pm. The Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) took these steps following refusal both by gas utility companies and water regulator to supply gas and water in view of severe shortage.

These decisions were taken at a high-level meeting of Power System Operation Committee (PSOPC), which met in Lahore on Friday with Secretary Water and Power Ismail Qureshi in the chair. Pepco MD Munawwar Baseer, officials of Pepco operating units, representatives of the Indus River System Authority, Sui Southern Gas Company, Sui Northern Gas Company, Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan Railways attended the meeting.

According to Tahir Basharat Cheema, director-general, energy management and conservation department, Pepco took the decisions to close down all steel melting units for 15 days to save 450 MW of electricity. He said that markets, commercial plazas and other commercial concerns would also remain closed for two hours (from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm) from January 8 to save another 350 MW.

The official who attended the meeting confided to ‘The News’ that both gas utility companies, Sui Southern and Sui Northern, have expressed their inability to provide gas to power plants, saying their first three priorities include domestic consumers, cement industry, and fertilizer companies.

The official said that representatives of the Indus River System Authority too told the meeting the Authority could not release water to the hydel power units in view of the dangerously low level of stored water in Terbela and Mangla dams, which currently stands at 1.7 million acre feet.

They informed the meeting Irsa could release more water to power units only if water inflow improves and water levels in Mangla and Tarbela dams increase substantially in view the impending winter rains.

The Pakistan Railways told the meeting that it has run 15 oil special trains to improve oil supply across the country. However, a train has derailed near Rahim Yar Khan owing to which there may be some difficulties in maintaining the supply, the official said.

The massive reduction in power generation by IPPs is the main problem as they are generating only 3800 MW of electricity against 5800 MW as agreed in the power purchase agreement. He said that the IPPs are bound to have furnace oil reserves to run their power plants for 21 to 30 days, but right now they have fuel reserves only for three days.

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What will happen to the boom boom, electifying of villages, and the consumption of atta?