Power crisis affecting red zones: Pakistan

Karachi: Just a few days ahead of Eid ul Fitr, the frequent power load-shedding in maximum areas of Pakistan including its Red zones, amid soaring temperatures has increased the miseries of people who are struggling to perform daily chores, especially during the Sehri and Iftar timings, reported local media.

Karachi along with parts of Lahore, Rawalpindi, and others are experiencing prolonged hours of load shedding lasting up to 15 hours much to the dismay of the civilians who are unable to perform daily chores.

Also, with the upcoming festival of Eid ul Fitr people are all the more concerned regarding the long hours of load shedding.

Much to the surprise of the citizens, some of the VIP areas of the city which hardly experienced any load shedding are now witnessing severe power outages, reported The News International.

Urban centres of Punjab are bearing the brunt of eight to nine hours of load shedding, while the rural areas are experiencing a spell of 10 to 12 hours of load shedding.

An increase in the duration of power cuts from 8 to 15 hours during the Sehri and Iftar timings has added to the burden of the people of Pakistan.

The power supply in Pakistan has been disrupted due to the shortage of 300 megawatts from the national grid, cited the spokesperson of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation Limited, as reported by The News International.

The Power Division said that presently only 17,000 megawatts of electricity are being produced in Pakistan while the demand has hiked up to 19,000 megawatts.

But, the electricity demand soars up to 21,000 megawatts during the afternoon and the evening.

The closure of several power plants in Pakistan due to lack of fuel and other technical pitfalls has caused such an electricity shortfall while a few powerplants also received capacity payments post-shutdown as well. A major water crisis has emerged in Punjab due to the unannounced electricity load-shedding.