Electricity crisis may worsen as 7 Tarbela Dam units stop functioning

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Electricity crisis is about to raise its ugly head in the country again as seven electricity-producing units of Tarbela Dam have stopped functioning, resulting in the subtraction of 1760 megawatts of electricity from the system and increasing the shortfall to 3,000 megawatts, on Thursday.

Quoting sources in the power division, the TV channel reported that currently diesel and furnace oil were being used for power generation due to the gas shortage.

The sources further disclosed that electricity was being produced from diesel at Rs21 per unit while in the case of furnace oil its rate was Rs14 per unit, which are the costliest means of power generation.

Meanwhile, Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has rejected the federal government’s request to produce electricity from Tarbela Dam, saying it does not want to do damage to the agriculture sector for the sake of power generation.

The Authority is of the view that since depriving provinces of their due share in water at this stage will have negative consequences, therefore, water discharge from the dam could not be reduced.

According to the sources, the federal government has asked for maintaining the water level in Tarbela Dam at 1,445 feet, requesting that if the water level dropped below than 1443 feet then the power shortfall will surge.

Irsa was of the view that the discharge from the dams could not be lowered as cutting water supply to the provinces would be dangerous at this moment.