Water Scarcity Saga
By the Editor

CONTRARY to government’s commitment, WAPDA Chairman has come out with an alarming revelation that load-shedding is likely to persist for the whole year.

At the same time, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has offered the industrial sector to generate electricity from their ‘captive power’ capable to generate 300-400MW and feed it into the national grid.

The grim picture of power shortages reflects the failure and incapability of WAPDA high ups to project future requirements and plan to meet the shortfall of ten to twelve percent per annum.

The justification being put forward by incompetent brass is that due to industrial boom, the consumption has increased beyond expectation and that in summer power shortages were common when the scorching heat drives up demand as people switch on their air conditioners.

It is in the knowledge of even a common citizen that energy demand increases by around ten percent per year and planning is done years ahead to add the required generation on annual basis.

As a matter of fact when the Private Power Producers were allowed to generate electricity the country became surplus and there were talk of exporting it to neighbouring India.

Over the past few years except the Ghazi-Barotha Hydel Project, and a few other small generating units, no major power project was brought on the stream which speaks volume of the inefficiency of the organisation, solely responsible for generation and distribution of electricity.

Short term, medium and long term projects for energy generation are still no where on ground despite clear cut instructions from the President and the Prime Minister to meet the energy shortfall.

With this perspective, it appears that the Authority has restricted herself to power distribution and there too its line losses have touched 24 percent.

Despite allocation of a massive amount of Rs 22 billion by the government to upgrade the distribution system, cut the line losses, it has miserably failed in the task that led to increase burden on the consumers, in the shape of higher tariffs and load shedding as well.

Hence, the foremost need is that responsibility be fixed for this failure on the part of all those responsible for such a scenario – both in the Ministry and WAPDA – and urgent action taken to start Hydel Power projects in a big way ensuring their completion within minimum possible time otherwise the consumers particularly the industrial sector, would suffer beyond imagination which the country can ill afford – at this moment of time.●