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December 31, 2008	Wednesday	Muharram 02,1430

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LAHORE, Dec 30: The Lahorites continued suffering up to 14 hours electricity loadshedding despite official claims to the contrary as the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) did not observe any schedule, making the matter worse.

The uncertainty created by power supply, say citizens, is psychologically more taxing than actual loadshedding. Since there is no schedule of power loadshedding, it often disrupts water supply as well, thus multiplying the problem.

Officials of Pakistan Electric Supply Company (Pepco) claim that the national grid has been suffering a deficit of 3,300MW against the total demand of 11,000MW – or a shortfall of 30 per cent.

By that calculation, the loadshedding should not have exceeded eight out of 24 hours. But up to 14 hours loadshedding in urban areas is difficult to understand, whereas the rural feeders are even more sufferers.

Explaining the dichotomy, one of the Pepco officials on Tuesday said that loadshedding was out of proportion during winter because of load reduction in domestic consumption.

“In winter, consumption drops four to five times as air conditioners and fans go off-line,” he explained. In order to save low production of power, the company has to resort to longer hours of loadshedding, which creates panic.

Since thermal generation system is overstretched, a small problem here and there forces the distribution companies resort to additional loadshedding, he said and added: “Maintenance and up-gradations are also carried out in the winter, which also create impression of loadshedding. But, beyond all these explanations, one must admit that it is a crisis situation and no amount of technical justification could console consumers.”

It is not only the power but the energy crisis that is driving people beyond their psychological limits, says Muhammad Shabir of Lahore Cantt. “There is no gas, which could light lamps in the absence of electricity. There is no petrol which can take one out for job and with power going off, one does not get water supply. In practical terms, it means one cannot get ready for office, cannot go to office. It is a perfect recipe of social disaster,” he regretted.

The business cost is getting worst, with small businesses like tailoring becoming totally non-feasible, says Muhammad Ajmal – a tailor on Walton Road. “My shop has six workers till last week and the number has now come down to two as the current partial power supply does not allow me to keep more than two,” he said. We have to manually run our sewing machines which has reduced production by five to six times and shook the business to the core, he said.

The worst part is that no one knows when the crisis will be over. Even after end of the canal closure, the loadshedding would, as per official claims, be cut down by half. But it would still be around eight hours, which would still not be conducive for businesses, another businessman feared.