ISLAMABAD: The areas across the country that have been put under smart lockdown to check the spread of the new coronavirus have been exempted from loadshedding.

The power division has instructed all distribution companies that no loadshedding will be allowed in all the areas where smart lockdown has been imposed even if feeders there are in high losses.

According to a press release issued here on Saturday, the decision has been made to ensure relief to the public. All control rooms in each distribution company as well the central control room are closely monitoring and ensuring the immediate redressal of complaints.

“The power division in the last couple of years has taken direct and far-reaching steps throughout Pakistan to reduce theft and losses. As a consequence even on high-loss feeders losses and theft were reduced and hence loss management/loadshedding was also reduced significantly,” the press release says.

The transmission system was not capable of transmitting more than 18,000MW of electricity, but the capacity of the transmission system has been increased to almost 26,000MW.

At present, an average load of more than 22,000MW is being sustained successfully.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2020