ISLAMABAD/Lahore-  The Federal Minister for Energy has said that the power transmission and distribution system is flawed.

"The delivery system of electricity is flawed and even generated electricity is not fully reaching the end consumer," said Federal Minister for Power Division Syed Ali Zafar while presiding over a meeting. The meeting reviewed supply and delivery of electricity to the end consumers.

Syed Ali Zafar said that information on exact loadshedding hours must be shared along with details of when and how long loadshedding is taking place. The transmission and distribution system capabilities enhancement has not taken place, he said. He pointed out that DISCOs have consistently not been able to fully utilise supplied energy and electricity has been unavailable in areas. He also pointed out that a website has been set up (http://www.roshanpakistan.pk) for information of people. “By using this site any one can check the status of feeder load management with exact timing and also get access to complaint management system, load management report, daily power position,” he added.

Last week the Senate standing committee was informed by ministry of Energy official that record 20,800MW electricity was produced this year but the power distribution system was unable to pick this power. The committee was informed that during the first week of June the generation was 18,742MW against the demand of 23,301MW.

Meanwhile, the Lahore Electric Supply Company has been carrying out electricity shutdown of two to four hours in urban areas while rural areas are facing power loadshedding of more than six hours despite having surplus power supply from the national grid.

The suburbs of Okara, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib, which are considered as high loss feeders, are facing more power shutdowns as compared to the urban areas.

According to Lesco officials, there was no shortfall of power in Lesco's distribution system as the company is being provided power that is more than its demand. They said that power allocation from the national grid for the company is around 3200MW while current demand is up to 3000MW but power outages of at least two to four hours have been reported in a number of areas. Consumers have refuted the claims of the government regarding loadshedding as more than 60 percent of the feeders across the province were facing loadshedding.

They said that as per policy, loadshedding is being carried out for two hours daily on feeders facing below 20 percent losses and six hours on those showing above 30 percent losses. They claimed that presently there are more than 1200 feeders of below 10 percent losses in Lahore where no power loadshedding is being observed while around 500 feeders, mostly in Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib, are suffering prolonged power suspension of up to six hours, due to power theft, non-payment of bills and high losses. They said that there are only 200 feeders out of almost 1700 feeders in suburbs of Lahore where up to six-hour loadshedding is carried out.

Regarding frequent power tripping, the Lesco officials are of the view that these breakdowns are not part of official loadshedding neither they are due to system constraints. They were of the view that there are scheduled shutdowns of power in different areas due to maintenance work or owing to some technical fault.

In December 2017, the government had declared around 5,300 feeders load-free across Pakistan, saying zero loadshedding will be observed on feeders with below 10 percent losses. The zero loadshedding feeders included Lesco 1250, Gepco 750, Fesco 900, Lesco 700, Mepco 770, Pesco 300, Hesco 200, and Quesco 60 feeders.