The Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has initiated a period of load shedding in response to decreased electricity demand within the city.
In an official announcement, IESCO explained that a notable gap between supply and demand in its region compelled the implementation of load management measures.
This entails regulated power cuts across all circles for six to eight hours, with normalcy returning once the supply is restored.
Adding to the complexity, an additional director from IESCO reported that 17 feeders in the G-9 area were manually switched off due to a fire incident.
Simultaneously, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) declared ‘forced’ load shedding for residents in its region over the upcoming days.
PESCO cited technical faults causing circuit tripping and subsequent supply reduction as the reason behind this decision, attributing the situation to the ongoing disparity between electricity supply and demand.
Beyond Islamabad and Peshawar, electricity load shedding has escalated across major cities in Pakistan, with a reported shortfall of 5000MW.
Even in the winter season with reduced power demand, significant urban areas like Lahore are experiencing up to 3 to 4 hours of unscheduled load shedding, while rural areas face up to 8 hours of power cuts.
Sources reveal that the country’s total power generation is 14500MW, highlighting a substantial gap in meeting the demand.
Amidst these challenges, it has come to light that the power division previously acknowledged overbilling consumers, altering tariff slabs, and dealing with damaged meters during the period of unscheduled load management.
