ISLAMABAD - The ministry of water and power here yesterday claimed that uninterrupted power is being supplied to about 80 per cent consumers in rural areas during Sehr, Taraweh and Iftar timings.
After four times announcement of zero loadshedding, the government is finally able to declare 80 percent of rural area loadshedding-free during Taraweh, Sehr and Iftar timing. However 95 to 97 percent urban area is getting electricity during Taraweh, Sehr and Iftar.
According the spokesman of the ministry of water and power, with the beginning of Ramazan the ministry of water and power is making all-out efforts to provide maximum relief to the domestic consumers, especially at the Taraweh, Sehr and Iftar timings, despite unprecedented heat wave across the country where the mercury goes to 52 degrees centigrade.
A rehearsal was conducted from the evening of June 6, 2016 and the industrial feeders were closed to provide uninterrupted power supply to the domestic consumers. Ninety-five per cent of the urban and 80% of the rural areas were ensured to get supply of electricity. Similarly on Sehr time June 7, 2016, the percentage of urban areas was 97% and rural 85% where zero load shedding was maintained. At Iftar time on First Ramazan June 7, 2016, 96% urban area and 80% of the rural areas were loadshedding-free.
However on second Ramazan at Sehr timing 97% of the urban areas and 90% of the rural areas remained under zero loadshedding.
There is no unannounced loadshedding in the country and the Secretary Ministry of Water and Power, Mohammad Younus Dagha is personally monitoring the situation on Sehr, Iftar and Taraweh timings from the monitoring room of the ministry.
But contrary to the claims made by the ministry of water and power, some areas are still facing loadshedding, low voltage and unannounced outage in different parts of the country.
According to available information, there has been loadshedding in Mandi Bahauddin for the last 24 hours. Koral Chowk and adjacent areas of IESCO region are facing unannounced loadshedding during the first two days of Ramazan. Power outage started at 4:00am and continued till 1:00pm there. Likewise, there have been complaints of low voltage in Dhoke Gangal since the first Ramazan.
The ministry is making all-out efforts to provide uninterrupted power supply to maximum domestic consumers, however due to sever heat and other technical issues, some faults may occur at local level leading towards temporary disruption of power supply to any particular locality.
The DISCOs have formed special teams to rectify such faults on emergency basis. The Federal Complaint Cell at the Ministry of Water and Power is also working 24/7 to redress consumers’ complaints across the country. Consumers can call on 051-9103888, 051-9206834 and 051-9204430 or may register online complaints on www.mowp.gov.pk.
Due to unprecedented heat wave in the country, the demand for the electricity has also risen sharply. The ministry of water and power has appealed to the consumers to adopt energy conservation measures and avoid wastage of electricity. The ministry has specially urged the consumers to minimise the use of air conditioners at the time of Sehr and Iftar so that maximum relief can be provided to the domestic consumers across the country.