ISLAMABAD: Minister for Power Barrister Syed Ali Zafar Monday informed theSenate that around 5000 to 6000 megawatt (MW) gap between power demand andsupply persisted with actual generation of 18,000 MW against the 21,000 MWinstalled capacity.
Responding to a motion moved by PML-N Senator Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qayyum inthe House, he said the actual generation capacity was not beyond 18,000 MW.The installed capacity did not mean the generation capacity as a number ofprojects were not working properly, while the hydel production was at thelowest ebb, he added.
The minister said the problem was not the electricity generation. The lastgovernment had only concentrated on the generation of power and did not payheed to enhance transmission capacity.
Transmission lines were in vulnerable condition while the distributioncompanies were unable to distribute power, he added.
He said the government was carrying out more load-shedding in some areaswhere recovery of power dues was not possible, however, total shutdown ofrespective feeders was being avoided. The long duration of load-sheddingcontinued in areas where bills were not being paid by the consumers, headded.
The minister said another issue was of circular debt, which furthercompounded the problems. The caretaker government had constituted acommittee of experts, both from government and private sectors, to suggestways to get rid of the load-shedding.
The options of generating power through wind, solar and other cheap sourcesshould be concentrated, he stressed.He said water level in the Tarbela Dam was at the lowest due to not meltingof glaciers. Pakistan, he added, spent only 5 to 7 per cent of grossdomestic product on the development of the water sector.
Responding to another motion, Barrister Syed Ali Zafarlink> said massive load-shedding wasbeing carried out in the areas where bills were not being paid bythe majority of the consumers. The policy of complete shutdown of feedersin defaulting areas had, however, been ended, he added.
It was not fair to punish some people who paid bills in the areas wherethe majority of the consumers did not pay power dues, he added.
Senator Abdul Qayyum, in his motion, said the last Pakistan MuslimLeague-Nawaz (PML-N) had added some 11,000 MW power to the national grid,but load-shedding was being carried out .
The PML-N government, he said, had launched a number of power generationprojects, including Kohala Power, Hubco, Thar Coal, Gaddani Power, Nandipurand Neelum Jhelum. Rs 123 billion had so far been spent on the DiamerBhasha Dam while Rs 27 billion was allocated for it in the currentfinancial year, he added.