Energy Crisis

http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/16/long-hot-summer.html
the Dawn, April 16,2011
Long,hot Summer

THIS is apropos of your editorial ‘Long, hot summer’ (April 9). It has depicted a grim picture of worsening power shortage, which is between 3,500 MW to 5,000 MW.

The fact is that when this democratic government came into power in February 2008, the electricity shortage was much less than it is now. Sadly, despite the passage of three years, no concrete steps have been taken to improve the power sector and facilitate power consumers.
Moreover, during the initial days of the present government, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and his entire team blamed the Musharaf government for the problem.
The minister also assured the nation, time and again, of ending the power crisis by placing deadlines. But when the common man got tired of the false promises, ultimately the federal minister took back his words, declaring that no timeframe could be given to overcome the electricity crisis.
In the face of increasing power cuts, the government has been increasing power tariffs almost every month. It is the history of Pakistan that the poor have always suffered and now they are suffering in both forms: loadshedding and increase in power tariffs.
It is astounding that the government has no short-term solution to meet the power crisis and provide relief to power consumers. However, it is a good thing that the government has long-term planning to meet power crisis, for example Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline that is to materialise in 2015, and Diamer Bhasha Dam which is scheduled to be completed by 2016. But there is a dire need to take measures as short-term solutions along with long-run projects. And it is to be seen whether these future projects complete in time or they would meet the same fate as that of 15
hydropower projects with a capacity of 1258 MW which were scheduled to be completed by June 2007.
Besides, there are three other projects, including the Neelum-Jhelum power project with a gross installed capacity of 1,848 MW, which were scheduled to be commissioned in June 2010. All these were delayed. Just one project of 86 MW (Malakand-III) was completed in eight years against 3226 MW projects.
The impacts of power shortage have been so adverse that over 400,000 industrial workers have lost their jobs and the industries have been facing an annual loss of over Rs240 billion. Besides industries, the agricultural and all other sectors have been among the sufferers.
The government should pay attention to worsening power shortages and take immediate measurers in short-term to meet the power crisis and provide relief to those consumers who pay their power bills honestly.
The government should lay off all corrupt power authorities who are involved in meter tampering, allowing illegal connections after receiving bribes from those who run airconditioners without meters.
The government should remove unnecessary airconditioners from government offices. It should control line losses that are estimated to be around 2000 MW daily.
The smart meter system should be launched which is being used in many developed countries. The government should reduce power tariff till the power outages are stopped.
Work for production of electricity from Thar coal should be initiated without any further delay as electricity production from it would take less than three years duration.
INAYATULLAH RUSTAMANI
Wahi Pandhi,
Johi