Ahmed Sajjad Hashemy

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Load Shedding in Pakistan ...

Electricity is in short supply in Pakistan, and as a result electric load shedding, break downs, power outages, fluctuations, blackouts etc are a common feature in the country. Whether it is summer or winter, load shedding is there. Sometimes it is scheduled, while or other occasions it is totally unscheduled. The letter is the worst because it causes untold problems and hardships to the electricity dependent community. It can be confidently said that the electric supply has never been reliable at any time in Pakistan.


There are many factors behind electric load shedding in Pakistan. These factors include shortage in river waters, over population, new connections, electric supply to villages, low generation of electricity, fewer dams, power theft, line losses etc. Then load shedding is the result of corruption, inefficiency, mismanagement and defective planning in WAPDA besides incomplete projects like Kala Bagh Dam, misuse of available resources, no generation from atomic and solar energy, lack of consensus and the apathy of the government contribute to load shedding.


Load shedding is a great curse. It brings untold misery to people belonging to all walks of life weather they are students, patients, businessman, industrialists, farmers, laborers, mechanics, house wives etc. It brings all economic, Agricultural and industrial progress to a standstill. The fluctuation plays havoc with the electric equipments like refrigerators, VCRs, Televisions, and Computers etc. The foreign investors shun investing money in different fields due to load shedding starts a long episode of helplessness and frustration.


Pakistan cannot make progress in any field in the presence of load shedding. Therefore government should take all possible measures to end load shedding from the country. First of all it should remove corruption, inefficiency and mismanagement from WAPDA. New mega dams should be constructed without further delay. The present available resources should be developed immediately. Power should be generated from solar and nuclear energy. Power theft should be should be stopped forthwith. On the other hand people should make wise and proper use of electricity. They should turn to using energy saving device. No doubt such steps can help a great deal in ending load shedding from the country.


Electricity load shedding in Pakistan has increased manifold. Minister of water and power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf assured that electricity load shedding would be done according to time schedule. He assured that electricity load shedding will finish by the end of the year 2010 but instead it is doubled what it was in the past year 2010. It is big failure of the government of Pakistan. No country can make progress without electricity. Recent government measures of holiday on Saturday and other saving methods have reduced load shedding but not significantly. Here I want to reveal one big waste of electricity by WAPDA, LESCO and other cities electricity board employees. One low grade LESCO employee told me that he is getting 2,100 units free electricity per month. He told that senior officers are getting 7,000 units and more free electricity per month. So, these employees are getting free electricity equal to their salaries. All this free electricity is being wasted on numerous air conditioners or selling to other rich people. Holiday on Saturday is loss for backward Pakistani nation since already government office procedures are dead slow.


Protests are taking place around the country. People of advanced countries cannot imagine living in such circumstances for a single day. I have never seen such a intense electricity load-shedding during my whole life. Minister of water and power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf failed to fulfill his promises. Electricity load-shedding is one of the biggest issues in Pakistan including poverty and unemployment. Government should take drastic measure to finish this electricity load-shedding. Pakistani nation is unhappy that government and opposition are busy in other legislative issues instead of resolving these primary issues. I challenge that I can resolve electricity load-shedding issue in one year if I become minister or high official of ministry of power.


On February 06, 2010 there was eight hours of continuous load shedding. Such shutdown takes place one day every week on the pretext of maintenance. Local LESCO employees told that this shut down takes place from local Grid station. SDO and XEN never attend their mobiles. Their numbers are provided on electricity bills as a joke. Similarly other responsible authorities concerned with load-shedding are not attending their phones. I talked to PS of LESCO chief executive and suggested him to suspend such staff that is not fulfilling their duties.


There is another very unjust aspect of electricity load shedding. There is no or less electricity load shedding in officer’s colonies or in rich posh areas. Always equal treatment is suggested by all national and international organizations. There must be equal time of electricity load shedding for every part of Lahore. Further electricity load shedding is being used as a weapon in order to obstruct people from work. This type of electricity load shedding happens any time without any time table. Political parties have joined hand for forming coalition government but people are facing inexpressible difficulties. Now political parties should work together for the resolution of important issues like electricity load-shedding and people’s poverty.




Source: Load Shedding in Pakistan (Syed Haroon Haider Gilani)

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