15-hour power cut to continue for 15 more days

ISLAMABAD: With a surge in mercury, Pakistan has started experiencing a huge power deficit of 3,000-4,000MWs owing to which the power outages of 12 hours in urban and 14-15 hours in rural areas are being experienced. People may continue to face massive loadshedding for the next 15 days ashydro generation is not likely to increase for the next two weeks in the wake of an expected zero raise in the existing water outflows from Tarbela and Mangla dams.
On top of that, the power system has lost electricity of 1,040MWs, mainly because of the forced shutdown of power plants, depriving the country of 860MW of electricity. One unit of Muzzafargarh power plant has been shutdown as per schedule and will come onstream after two days. However, the plants that have developed some serious faults will not be operational soon as PakGen that produces 350MW is facing a fault and will not start generating electricity before June 1, 2015.
Similarly, Rousch of 200MW is also facing a technical fault; it is expected to be operational by April 10. Hubco’s one unit of 350MW is also facing a fault that developed due to leakage of oil.The system is also getting hydro generation of just 1,300MWs against the expected increase up to 2,400MWs.
However, the federating units are not putting up demands for water releases from dams, which is why the hydro generation currently stands at 1,300MWs. The spokesman for the Ministry of Water and Power, when contacted, said unforeseen faults in various power plants had developed due to which over 1,000MW were not being generated. He, however, admitted that if Irsa permits, Wapda will increase the outflows and then hydro generation will increase by 1,200MWs. This will provide solace to the masses as power outages will be reduced. To a question, he said that electricity demands currently stand at 13,000MWs and electricity production hovers around at 10,000MW.
However, the IRSA spokesman, when contacted, said that the existing water outflows of 15,000 cusecs per day from Mangla and 12,000 cusecs from Tarbela will continue for 15 days as Irsa is expecting a new wave of winds that will enter Pakistan causing more rains in the country from Saturday evening in various parts of the country. He said the flood in the River Chenab that hit the Punjab province has reduced the demand of water in the province.
The Irsa spokesman also said that because of the expected rains in the country, water inflows will increase and, at the same time, the provinces will also not place their indents. He disclosed about 50,000 cusecs of water was going down to the sea and so far 0.7 million acre feet of water had gone to the sea. The Punjab province has closed down its Taunsa canal while other canals in the Punjab are just running at their 30 percent capacity.
Similarly, Sindh’s requirement is not at the higher side. And on top of that at Guddu, the quantum of water stands at 95,000 cusecs. This mean that the provinces for at least 15 more days are not likely to place their indents, meaning that Irsa will not ask Wapda to increase the water outflows. This means that hydro generation will not increase.So, the power outages will continue to haunt the people for 15 more days and there will be no let-up unless the power plants facing serious faults are repaired in a short period of time.