The country is hit with the worst power and gas shortage in years and everyone is suffering on account of it.

The facts of the matter are (a) The water level in the reservoirs of our large dams ise low because of insufficient rains in the catchments areas.

With the little water that is stored, we can either continue generating limited power and save more for irrigation purposes when the season comes or deplete the reservoirs completely by generating full blast power and have no water left for the crops when needed; (b) Almost 80 per cent of the thermal power generation capacity amounting to 2,500 MWs is lying idle as the IPPs have no funds to pay for the furnace oil needed to run their power plants. The government owes them huge amounts which are not being released to them on one pretext or the other. Either they must be paid their dues immediately or at least supplied with the furnace oil on credit to run their power plants.

Industry is the worst hit and this is badly affecting the national economy. Production is frightfully reduced, affecting the exports. This in turn aggravates the already alarming state of our foreign exchange holdings. Workers are being perforce laid off, causing great hardships to their families. In addition, tariff rates for electricity and gas are increased frequently causing further resentment among the masses.

Despite tall claims of the minister for power, the situation is not likely to improve entirely. With the ever increasing use of electricity, demand for power will always out-pace its production. Faisalabad is a large industrial town and worst affected. Would it, therefore, not be prudent for the industrialists of this town to have their own sizeable thermal power station to meet their present and future requirements?

If Sialkot can finance its own airport why can’t Faisalabad have its own power house? The Faisalabad Private Power Company will not only meet the power requirements of the town and industry but could also earn some profit, which could be utilised for the development of other badly needed infrastructure in the town.

The power generation and its distribution should be totally independent of Wapda and the government, and if need be, a suitable bill could be passed by the legislature in this regard.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd) Rawalpindi