ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: The ministry of water and power on Saturday ‘officially’ allowed the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) to carry out loadshedding for up to 11 hours daily until the end of this month as the power deficit has crossed 5,000 megawatts over the past one week.

Despite holding a number of meetings over the past three days and removing some Pepco officials, the ministry appears to have failed to come up with a concrete plan to provide relief to consumers across the country.

Distribution companies have been allowed to exercise nine hours’ loadshedding in urban areas and 11 hours in rural areas. However, there will be no unannounced loadshedding.

Sources privy to the meetings told Dawn that two committees formed to look into the power crisis had recommended to Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to keep the grids off half the time during the next fortnight.

The committees, one of which included officials of the power distribution companies (Discos), had informed the minister that until the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) cleared outstanding dues of Rs50 billion it owed to independent power producers (IPPs) and thermal plants, power shortage could not be brought down even to the level of 3,000MW.

Due to non-payment by Wapda, IPPs and thermal plants are unable to clear dues of oil and gas companies which have stopped the supply of furnace oil and gas to the producers and plants, badly affecting their generation capacity.

Wapda officials were of the opinion that the utility should not be blamed for the situation because it could not operate without cash.

Similarly, distribution companies are suffering from higher transmission and distribution losses, with the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) ranking top (40 per cent) among them. Its losses reached Rs900 million a year.

A reduction in water releases from Tarbela and Mangla dams on account of low provincial indents to conserve water for wheat sowing also contributed to power shortages.

The power ministry, however, decided to continue supply of electricity to the steel furnace industry for 12 hours (from midnight to noon).

The textile industry, fed through independent power feeders, will be provided supply for two shifts. Power looms, depending upon their location, will be provided supply for 24 hours.

Sources said that the National Power Control Centre had suggested that 239 feeders, which had been providing 500MW non-stop electricity to defence installations should also carry out loadshedding.