ISLAMABAD, July 5: After facing unprecedented loadshedding in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, residents are now suffering from low-power voltage, Dawn was informed.
As a result of low voltage, there are complaints that electric appliances are not working with full capacity and sometimes they turn out of order.
People from various parts of the two cities have reported that in the sizzling heat their air conditioning units, room coolers and refrigerators have not been working due to low power supply.
“I obtained the service of an electrician who told me that the level of electricity I received in my house was 170 to 180 volts instead of 220 volts,” said Jawad Khan, a resident of Gulzar-i-Quaid, a residential locality near Benazir International Airport. He said due to low voltage even cell phone batteries could not be charged.
Yousuf Ali, who lives in Sector G-9, also complained that one can distinguish the performance of an electric appliance during power load shedding from an appliance during normal supply. “We observe that our ceiling fans rotate faster on uninterruptible power supply (UPS) than on normal electric supply. This shows that a UPS produces full 220 volts during load shedding, increasing an electric appliance’s performance.”
However, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) denied that there was any complaint of low voltage in the two cities.
“We have not received any such complaint in any part of the two cities,” the Iesco’s spokesman Farooq Ahmed said.
However, the Iesco’s Superintendent Engineering Rashid Khatak said the overall power shortage in the region could be responsible for the loadshedding.
“Since the demand is on the higher side, we have to put off one feeder to allow the other to distribute power in different areas.
This process may cause low voltage in some places,” he said.
He said the power shortage was causing multiple problems including low voltage.
This is the first time that loadshedding is occurring for three to five hours straight in my sector.According to the National Power Control Centre, currently 800 MW per day is being supplied to the entire Iesco region, stretching from Jhelum to northern areas against its requirement of 2,000 MW.
Islamabad needs some 250 MW per day, but due to the shortfall in the country, only approximately 100 MW is being supplied to the capital.
“The supply of electricity fluctuates from the national grid, and Iesco has nothing to do with it. When we receive more electricity from the national grid, we supply it to the consumers,” said Iesco’s superintending engineer.
He said the use of air conditioners, fans, fridges, deep freezers, water dispensers and coolers increased in the summer, and this is why the existing production of electricity cannot cater to the population’s demand.