October 05, 2008	Sunday	Shawwal 05, 1429

LAHORE, Oct 4: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Saturday squeezed water releases from Tarbela Dam, causing a drop of 1,000MW in power generation and increasing total power shortfall to 2,500MW.

As a result, the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) enhanced the loadshedding duration from two to three hours to four to five hours across the country.

With hot weather setting in during the last few days, the power demand had gone up to 13,500MW.

According to Pepco officials, the drop in water releases came without warning.

The Tarbela dam had been generating 3,100MW for the last few weeks, keeping loadshedding to the manageable level of 1,500MW. But the cut in releases, coupled with a hot wave in the country, has complicated the power supply situation.

The total hydel generation that stood at 6,100MW on Friday, came down to 5,100MW on Saturday.

Some 4,600MW was coming from the Independent Power Producers and 2,400MW from Pepco’s own thermal generation units, taking the total to 11,000MW against a demand of 13,500MW throughout the country (excluding the Karachi Electric Supply Company).

“The company (Pepco) has been able to spend the Eid holidays without loadshedding due to two factors: hydel releases were healthy and industrial units had been shut down,” said an official.

The company was planning after-Eid distribution according to 1,500MW shortage, which is quite manageable.

The metrological officials have forecast another spell of rain and mercury is expected to come down. Thus the company did not see any pressure on supply.

The consumers, who spent three Eid holidays without loadshedding, would now suddenly have to endure long spells of loadshedding, the official said.

But water managers in the Irsa think that dams’ releases are adjusted according to crop requirements in the country. Power generation is a by-product and must be taken as such, he said.

Irsa has been releasing water from dams because it has to save standing crops of rice and cotton.