LAHORE, June 10: With mercury rising to record-breaking heights in many parts of the country, domestic power shortage (excluding the Karachi Electric Supply Company) has risen to the feared level of about 2,500 megawatts or 18 per cent of the current demand.

According to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) records, the current average daily demand has gone beyond 14,500MW. During the peak-period (6pm to 10pm), the electricity demand has now touched 15,500MW.

Simply put, the 18 per cent power shortage means over four-hour-long loadshedding every day, says an official of the power wing of the Wapda. But, the authority is further hampered by its capacity to transmit power where it is needed the most — grossly overloaded areas in major cities.

Its inability to transmit surplus supply to places where power is needed the most results in frequent breakdowns, caused by weak transmission system, and tripping of overloaded transformers, adding to people’s frustration, he said, adding: “The authority’s manpower and gadgets are stretched beyond limits for keeping track of breakdowns and outages, leave alone fluctuation.

“No one in the authority or its 13 allied companies can tell with certainty how many breakdowns or outages have actually occurred during a certain period of time.”