PESHAWAR, March 12: Tarbela Dam’s tunnel number-1 would remain out of function for 10 days starting March 15 for annual repairs and maintenance.

This apparently would affect power supply to several parts of the province in the peak electricity consumption hours, official sources said.

Wapda’s Peshawar-based spokesman told Dawn that the tunnel of the country’s largest hydel power project would remain closed for 10 days to enable its annual repair and maintenance.

As a result, power supply to several parts of the province would get affected during the peak hours from 6pm to 10pm. Power supply would be terminated for short intervals as part of Wapda’s load management measures usually adopted to manage power shortages, he said.

At least ten grid stations would have to apply ‘load management’ in different sequences during the peak hours to cope with the situation, an official press release issued on Wednesday said.

The grid stations which would opt for load management for short intervals include 132 kv right bank Tarbela, 132 kv Battal, 132 kv Harripur, 132 kv Mansehra, 132 kv Muzzafarabad, 132 kv Nishaat Tarbela, 132 kv Gadoon Amanzai, 132 kv Abbottabad, 132 kv Balakot and 132 kv grid station of AMC Abbottabad, according to the release.