ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: Loadshedding for industries has been reduced after electricity shortfall dropped to 1,600 megawatts from 3,500MW in the beginning of the current month.

Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) spokesman Tahir Basharat Cheema told Dawn on Tuesday that the shortage during daytime had dropped to 900MW and during peak consumption hours to 1,600MW.

“The relief is also being passed on to domestic and commercial consumers.”

He claimed that unannounced loadshedding had ended, although a schedule for reduced loadshedding for domestic and commercial consumers is yet to be announced.

Loadshedding for the textile sector has been reduced from eight hours a day to four and for small and medium enterprises to between four and six hours.

Mr Cheema claimed that uninterrupted power supply was being provided to ‘continuous process industries,’ including cement, paper, chemical, plastic and pharmaceutical factories which have committed to reduce their consumption by 25 per cent during peak hours.

The supply to agricultural tubewells is being ensured from 5pm to 6 am.

Mr Cheema said a release of R7.5 billion by the finance ministry on Jan 4 on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari had helped increase supply of furnace oil to thermal units. He said the generation capacity of ‘independent power producers had increased because of the liquidity created by the government. “The situation has considerably improved as compared to last month.”

The Pepco official said the government had announced that the whole of circular debt (about Rs400 billion) would be retired in a few months. “This has added to the confidence of stakeholders.”

He said better management had dropped the power shortfall and all the consumers would get relief.

WATER RELEASE: According to sources, rivers and streams in the country were carrying a total of 51,540 cusecs of water on Tuesday. The reservoirs possessed 71,727 cusecs.

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has started releasing 1,800 cusecs from Tarbela and 5,000 from Mangla. This is likely to increase hydroelectric generation and reduce the shortfall.

The government has also started releasing over 5,000 cusecs to Punjab from Tarbela Dam after de-silting 75 per cent of the streams in the province over the past month.

About 15,440 cusecs of water is being released from the Chenab and 12,600 cusecs from River Kabul.