LAHORE, July 8: Wapda says it has 'suddenly' experienced a 15 per cent upward surge in overall demand for electricity from the start of this summer which is 'unprecedented'.

In a statement on Thursday, it said the peak demand in early July for total Wapda system touched 11,942 MW on July 8 against 10,200 MW of the same day last year, which shows an increase of more than 17 per cent.

"This is because of much higher consumption by the increased number of air-conditioners and other electrical gadgets besides the huge village electrification (nearly 7,000 villages were electrified in 2003-04) and expanding industrial/agricultural base."

The generation capacity of the Mangla and Tarbela power houses, meanwhile, reduced due to the extremely low level water and much smaller water discharge from the Mangla reservoir by IRSA.

The total power shortfall of about 2,100 MW from these two reservoirs has created a drastic shortage of power in the northern Punjab and NWFP. The shortfall in hydel power on account of low water level and lesser discharges has been further aggravated by non-availability of Chashma Nuclear power house which otherwise contributes 300 MW to the system in the northern areas of country.

"Wapda is trying to fully utilize its thermal power houses and the existing private power plants and the situation is quite satisfactory in southern parts. But ... it has to occasionally resort to the load management in certain areas.

In this situation, the valued customers of Wapda, particularly in the areas of northern Punjab and NWFP, are requested to bear with us the effect of the natural phenomena of low water availability this summer," the statement said. -PPI