ISLAMABAD Poor publics plight, perhaps, doesnt see the light at the end of the tunnel, as the prevailing dark times may last at least for a decade more thanks to a seemingly inefficient government and its minister. Blue-eyed cronies of Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had been seeking his pleasure by inventing novel ways to eliminate electricity shortage by cosmetic methods like RPPs instead of focussing on producing indigenous electricity through a genuine way. These ideas have not only wasted time but also pushed the country on the verge of economic collapse. Well-placed sources informed that Government haphazardly or due to vested interests of some office-holders launched the idea of RPPs that now seems to be a failure. They said it was true that the country desperately needed electricity, but at the same time it was not in a condition to face the consequences of very much costly electricity planned to be purchased from RPPs. The sources further informed that present situation of loadshedding would be acceptable to masses when they would know, what was going to happen in the near future. In the coming summer, the people of Pakistan would hardly see the electricity, the sources claimed. Neither the 2250 megawatts RPPs are going to be installed, nor they are affordable. Around 700 megawatts capacity RPPs are expected to add electricity in the system within next one year and nothing else, the sources informed. And where from the consumers would pay for this very precious electricity is also a big question. Now in the winter, there is an average power shortfall of 3,000 megawatts in the country but in the coming summer, it would increase beyond any ones expectations, the sources maintained. The dams in Pakistan are primarily meant to serve the agriculture sector of the country and power generation through these dams could be considered as a by-product. So at times when the provinces need water, masses feel some relief due to decrease in loadshedding. The sources disclosed, We all know that Pakistan can not afford oil-based energy generation that has already damaged the countrys economy a lot, rather it is needed to build new dams to generate hydel power and in this regard, the Government has done nothing. The nearest possible date for the completion of an under-construction Neelum Jhelum Dam is 2016 that too is doubtful. The said dam would add 1000 MW electricity in the system and by that time the demand would have been increased by many times. The energy demand in the country increases by 7 to 8 percent every year. And the other dams like Bhasha and Bunji Power Project need at least 10 to 12 years to be completed if they get started now. But every body can see that construction work of these dams has been started yet, the sources informed. The traders who can afford should buy generators now because there is no other way out to survive and tackle the situation. Provided there is a sincere government and it really wants to do something in this regard, this problem can be addressed by building new dams immediately, the sources suggested. But that is possible only if the Government has its worth in the public and likewise the masses have trust in the Government, otherwise there is a total disaster in the country in terms of electricity availability, the sources feared.