ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: The federal government has convened an emergency meeting here on Thursday to devise a plan to overcome a looming daily power shortage of 500 megawatts over the next two months.

Officials told Dawn that water releases to provinces would be stopped by the Indus River System Authority next month that would reduce the hydroelectric generation to a bare minimum.

A final date for canal closure would be announced by Irsa before the end of November on the basis of water requirement plans to be submitted by the provinces. The hydroelectric generation would return to normal by the end of February when Irsa would release water to provinces for last watering of the Rabi crops.

These sources said Wapda had asked the federal government to provide an additional amount of more than Rs19 billion for the next two months to meet fuel oil requirements for maximum thermal power generation, both in Wapda system and independent power producers.

Still, Wapda system would be facing a power shortage of 400-500 megawatts during December-January period because of minor maintenance programmes, sources in the power ministry quoted Wapda estimates.

Minister for Water and Power Liaqat Ali Jatoi, who would preside over the meeting, has taken it as a challenge to force Wapda not to go for load shedding by postponing scheduled maintenance shutdowns of thermal power stations either belonging to Wapda or the private sector.

The meeting will also be attended by Wapda hierarchy, besides the representatives of the IPPs and officials of National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak) and Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), and ministries of water and power and finance.

Sources said the minister has already directed the Nespak to submit a report to ascertain whether thermal stations really required maintenance in the first place and how these could be postponed for two more months to avoid load-shedding.

A recent meeting at the power ministry had decided that no thermal power project in the private or public sector would be closed down for maintenance unless certified by Nespak.

The meeting would also consider import of four gas based second-hand power plants gifted by the UAE government for re-installation in Wapda or Kesc system to overcome future shortages.

Sources said a technical team of Wapda had visited the UAE recently and had found these projects in good condition. The UAE government is phasing out its old power generation plants.