ISLAMABAD - The residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing severe load shedding in the scorching summer season, as over 45 percent domestic feeders are facing up to 20 hours loadshedding. Of the total 981 domestic feeders in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 443 are facing 12 to 20 hours load shedding, official documents available with The Nation reveal. On the remaining 538 domestic feeders, there is 2 to 7 hours load shedding, the documents reveal.
There are total 1305 feeders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which include 981 domestic feeders, 190 industrial feeders and 134 independent feeders. On 159 domestic feeders with above 80.1 percent losses Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) is carrying 20 hours power cut. Similarly, on 157 feeders with 60.1 percent to 80 percent there is 16 hours load shedding. On 143 feeders with 40.1 percent to 60 percent losses the duration of load shedding is 12 hours. There are 7 hours outages on 96 feeders with 30.1 percent to 40 percent losses. On 135 domestic feeders with 20.1 percent to 30 percent, PESCO is carrying 6 hours load shedding. On 191 feeders with losses from zero to 20 percent there is 2 hours load shedding. According to the data, on 190 industrial and 134 independent feeders there is zero load shedding.
The financial loss incurred by 1305 domestic, industrial and independent feeders is Rs 195.596 billion. The receivables from these feeders are Rs 228.243 billion, the data maintained. It is worth to mention here that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is generating approximately 4000 MW low-cost hydropower at around Rs 6 per unit and its residents are buying it back from the national grid at average 29.78 per unit. The total consumption of the PESCO consumers is approximately 1200 MW, while the maximum demand is around 2500 MW. According to a source in the PESCO, the entire losses are not due to electricity theft as there are various reasons for the losses. The main source of electricity loss is the decades old distribution system of PESCO. Another reason for the loss is the electricity theft done with the help of the PESCO employees. Similarly, law and order situation in the province is another reason for the high losses in some districts of PESCO region.