LAHORE, April 17: Wapda Chairman Tariq Hameed has said that there will be no load-shedding of electricity during this summer season as the authority has the capacity to meet power demand all over the country.

He was talking to the press at Wapda House here on Monday at a loan-signing ceremony between Bank of Punjab and Gujranwala Power Supply Company.

Tariq Hameed said there might be power breakdowns in some areas due to problems and faults in the electricity system which, he added, would be removed within the minimum possible time.

He said the recent decision of the Supreme Court regarding ban on kite-flying had reduced power trippings from over 600 to less than 100 per day.

This had helped a lot to Wapda in smooth and efficient running of power supply system, besides saving equipment and electric gadgets, he added.

The chairman informed that Wapda had completed second power transmission line of 220KW from Ghazi Brotha to Rawat-Mandi Bahauddin and Lahore on April 16, 2006. The project had cost Rs3.5 billion which is a major development in the history of the authority.

The new transmission line would help smooth functioning of power system even if the earlier transmission line stops working, he said.

He said work on another transmission line of 500KW from Muzaffargarh to Faisalabad had been started which would be completed within one year.

The object of these installations is to develop a strong linkage between thermal and hyderal power generation projects in south and north and to ensure smooth electricity supply throughout the country.

“The new transmission lines would enable us to meet demand of the consumers by providing electricity from hydel and thermal units without any hassle,” the chairman said.

To a question, he said disturbance in power system in some parts of Balochistan was due to attacks of some anti-state elements on power installations.

To another question about power outage in areas under Hyderabad Electricity Supply Company (Hesco), Tariq Hamid said some areas under the company had 80 per cent line losses because of power theft. Sometimes, Hesco officials have to stop electricity supply to such areas as a step to control power theft. —APP