Zero supply from Mangla worsens power crisis

ISLAMABAD:

The power crisis was aggravated on Monday with a shortfall of 3,650 megawatts in the national grid, leaving the people helpless.

As the people staged demonstrations across the country against the power shortage, authorities claimed that they would be able to control the situation within a couple of days, though the Mangla Dam had developed serious faults, bringing power generation to nil.

Mangla’s zero contribution resulted in a 22.427 per cent power shortage, with an immediate impact of five and a half hours daily loadshedding, if calculated in average, irrespective of the discrimination being meted out to rural areas.

Official sources in the Water and Power Ministry told this correspondent that the Mangla Dam had been generating 1,100 MW of power, almost in full capacity. “We have been informed that there are technical faults at Mangla despite the fact that it has enough water discharges as well as water storage to generate power,” the sources said.

Pakistan’s requirement stands at 16,275 MW, whereas it received 12,625 MW though almost 150,000 cusec water is being discharged from the Tarbela Dam to generate power up to its maximum electricity generation capacity.

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), having operation command, is responsible for the safety of the existing water dams and the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) is supposed to manage the electricity, whether from water or thermal means.The fault at the Mangla Dam had not been removed till the filing of this report.

The dam has 1,363 feet storage against its dead level of 1,040 feet, with 53,000 cusecs inflow and 40,000 cusecs outflow.When approached, Pepco Managing Director Tahir Basharat Cheema said: “The Water and Power Development Authority expects enhanced electricity generation from Tarbela and through provision of gas supply to thermal units.

We expect 500 MW from Tarbela and another such quantum from thermal, with an increase in gas provision.”When asked about the responsibility of breakdown of Mangla power, he said Wapda and Pepco authorities were engaged in ensuring power supply from the same source. He, however, admitted that the deficit of 1,100 MW power, which was available from Mangla, had worsened the overall shortage situation considerably.“We are trying to manage this shortfall from thermal generation as well as to increase availability from Tarbela,” he said. “We are getting 2,000 MW from Tarbela, which will increase as the water flows in it have increased substantially,” Cheema said.He said the government would overcome the electricity shortage by December 2009, as repeatedly announced by Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. “We have projects in the pipeline to ensure fulfilment of the promise,” Cheema said.Umer Bhatti adds from Lahore: People marched in protest here on Monday against long and frequent power outages, lambasting the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) for its “highly inefficient” service.Be it a domestic consumer or a commercial or industrial one, everyone protested against Lesco and its subdivisions, demanding that loadshedding be stopped.

Apart from the loadshedding, the people are facing low voltage, melting of electricity wires, non-functioning metres and overloaded transformers, causing power breakdowns.Several demonstrations were staged here, in which people complained that the Lesco management had failed to solve their problems.

The added that their problems had aggravated after the establishment of distribution companies (Discos).They said corruption was rampant in Wapda and the establishment of those Discos had provided more room for corruption. The major demonstration was staged by traders, who blocked The Mall on Monday.Besides, there were demonstrations at Dharam Pura, Imamia Colony and Shahadra. The biggest of them was staged at Garhi Shahu, where demonstrators blocked the Allama Iqbal Road for three hours on Sunday night.The demonstrators complained that the loadshedding was not uniform.

They said there were no power outages at the DHA and in the areas having the residences of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Lesco Chief Executive Officer M Akram Arain.They said when they called at the complaint cell at the residence of the Lesco CEO, no one attended their call. This scribe also made several attempts to contact the Lesco CEO, but failed.The Anjuman-e-Tajiran complained that Akram Arain never received their calls and they felt frustrated when the authorities ignored them.

They said their economic condition was miserable.The people demanded of the government to revamp the Lesco management on war footing. A person from Sant Nagar told The News that there was no light at his place from midnight to 4 am on Sunday. He said power was again discontinued at 4:10 am up to 7 am.He said his family, including his 75-year-old ailing father, stayed restless during the time. A woman from Allama Iqbal Town said an intense summer, coupled with the worst loadshedding, had turned them into psycho. What was more, she said, that there was no schedule for the loadshedding.A person from the Cantonment area said that after power outage at his house from 4 am to 9 am on Monday morning, he could not attend his office because of the restlessness he suffered during the sleep.In some cases, the people said they were experiencing power outages after every 20 minutes.

A New Samanabad resident said the transformer in his area was bearing the load of three transformers.He accused Lesco and its subdivisions of corruption, and said they were not installing new transformers though they were available with them. He also complained of low voltage, much to the damage of his home appliances.The loadshedding was at its peak on Sunday midnight after all the machines at the Mangla Power Plant went out of order. Wapda authorities said the problem occurred as a power cable was damaged around 11 pm. The Mangla machines were not repaired till Monday night.A loadshedding expert told The News that power outages were far more than it should be, given the shortfall, which was normally around 2,500 MW. He said the loadshedding duration should have been around four to five hours. Meanwhile, demonstrations were also staged in Faisalabad against loadshedding.Our Dera Ghazi Khan correspondent adds: Unannounced and long loadshedding triggered protests in various localities here on Monday.

Traders and domestic consumers blocked the Quaid-i-Azam Road near the Golai Committee and burnt tyres. They also chanted slogans against Wapda.Meanwhile, a large number of shopkeepers blocked the Pir Qatal Road near the Fawwara Chowk. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with demand for an end to power crisis.The protesters took out a rally, which started from the Ghanta Ghar Chowk and culminated at the Kalma Chowk, where the protesters chanted slogans against Wapda for their alleged discrimination against the Dera Ghazi Khan district.Consumers said despite an extraordinary spell of heat, electricity was suspended five to 10 times a day, making lives of the people miserable and bringing business activities at a standstill.The consumers said they were not getting electricity for three consecutive hours during 24 hours. They said power had been suspended from midnight to 2:30 am and again from 4 am to 5 am on Sunday and Monday.

They said the Wapda authorities again suspended power from 6 am to 8 am, from 10 am to 11 am and then from 12 noon to 1 pm on Monday. They said it was irritating for the domestic and commercial consumers when just after half an hour, power had disrupted again from 1:30 pm to 4 pm on Monday.“In addition, power is repeatedly suspended after every 5-10 minutes when the supply is restored,” they added. Meanwhile, The Jewellers Association has announced it will set up a camp against Wapda from Tuesday (today).With an increase in the power crisis, rural consumers were facing the worst-ever loadshedding, ranging between 18 to 24 hours, while about 16-18 hours shutdown was being observed in urban areas. Traders, students, children, and aged men and women were the worst sufferers.The government departments have purchased heavy power generators. The unrest and sleeplessness was the most common feature the consumers were observing. In Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan, power supply had been suspended for three consecutive hours for the last 10 days.

The Dera Ghazi Khan Mepco deputy manager did not respond to repeated calls made by this correspondent.Our Gujranwala correspondent adds: People from different walks of life staged demonstrations against electricity loadshedding here on Monday.Talking to newsmen, they said they were facing several problems due to unscheduled loadshedding in the district. They said loadshedding in the summer had made their lives miserable.Meanwhile, the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry office-bearers said loadshedding was affecting trade activities in the district. They urged President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the industrial sector, otherwise, it would totally collapse.Meanwhile, Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Majoka, in a statement, said a major fault had developed in the Mangla Power House that caused electricity suspension to the Gakhar grid station.He said the Gepco officials connected the Gakhar grid station with the Kala Shah Kaku grid station and restored power supply. He said work was under way to rectify the fault at the Mangla Power House. Our Bahawalpur correspondent adds: People took out rallies against 22-hour loadshedding in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan districts on Monday.

In Donga Bonga, people staged a demonstration near the general bus stand and later, blocked traffic on the Donga Bonga-Bahawalnagar Road for several hours. They said they were facing various problems due to loadshedding.Our Hafizabad correspondent adds: Hundreds of people staged a demonstration against 20-hour unscheduled loadshedding here on Monday.Carrying banners and placards, they chanted slogans against Wapda.

Meanwhile, Labour Union President Muhammad Zaman Ansari said the loadshedding was forcing power-loom owners to close their units, rendering thousands of labourers jobless.