PESHAWAR, April 5: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) is facing a power shortage of 608MW in peak hours daily, which is fulfilled through one-hour loadshedding in four to six intervals a day throughout the NWFP.

Chief Executive (CE) of the Pesco Muhammad Qasim Khan told this to the 42nd meeting of the company’s Board of Directors held here on Saturday under the chair of Jamshid Savul at the Wapda House.

Giving firsthand information about the prevailing energy crisis in the country, the Pesco official informed the BoD that due to low water level in dams and surge in the use of electricity, the gap between demand and supply had reached to 608MW during peak hours. Resultantly, the Pesco had to carry out one hour loadshedding for 4 to 6 times in 24 hours throughout the province, he maintained.

He said that to raise public awareness, energy conservation campaign had also been launched that had produced encouraging results. The BoD meeting was also informed that illegal connections were causing huge financial losses to the company while the genuine customers were facing inconvenience in the shape of loadshedding and higher power tariffs.

The CE Pesco also briefed the BoD regarding the line losses, recovery and pace of developmental works.

The Pesco official claimed that after assuming office, he chalked out a strategy for reduction in the line losses and enhancement in recovery and had succeeded to reduce the line losses by 1.3 per cent in the month of March and managed a net saving of Rs60 million.

He further said that the Pesco was facing Rs5 to Rs6 billion losses per annum due to higher power pilferage and low recovery, adding there were 30 per cent ‘no go areas’ in the NWFP where power pilferage was very high and no action had been taken to curb this stealing.

The BoD was informed that one million air conditioners, refrigerators, deep freezers and washing machines had been purchased by the people in the last one year.

Chairman Board of Directors Jamshed Savul emphasised to promote corporate culture in the Pesco because it was the only way for its survival. He directed the power utility to ensure provision of better facilities to the customers and give incentives to them so that a culture of regular payment of bills and avoidance of illegal use of electricity could be developed.

In order to enhance the corporate culture, the BoD accorded approval to raise the number of board members from 7 to 11. The meeting also approved purchase of power transformers, distribution transformers, single phase meters, cables and HT & LT poles and also called for increasing the production capability of the Nowshera Workshop to fulfill the future requirements of HT & LT poles.