PESHAWAR
Like other developing countries, Pakistan was also confronting the major challenge of the energy crisis that was adversely affecting the economic and industrial growth besides common man.
The energy crisis was deepened in the country in recent years due to an unnecessary delay in completion of ongoing and new dams projects by the past rulers besides an increase in power pilferage by domestic and industrial consumers. In addition to lacunas in existing laws, the rise in global oil prices due to Russia-Ukarain conflict and devaluation of the rupee had further aggravated the energy crisis in the region including Pakistan.
Like other provinces, Khyber Pakthunkhwa was also facing the brunt of load shedding where power stealing continued mostly in periphery areas of Peshawar, DI Khan, Nowshera, Charadda, Bannu, Karak and Khyber districts. As a result, the demand-supply gap of electricity has increased and the power distribution system was being overloaded.
PESCO Power Distribution Company (PESCO) officials told APP on Monday that power shortfall in KP has swelled to 1138 megawatt due to continued power theft in remote villages and periphery areas of the said districts and the company was left with no other option but to increase load shedding hours in high line losses’ feeders for better load management.
In Peshawar, power theft cases through direct hocks continued at Badabir, Mathani and Regi Lalma, Shabqadar and Prang in Charasadda district and remote areas of DI Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Khyber, resulting a significant increase in demand-supply’s gap of an electricity, power tripping and fluctuation.
“Currently, KP’s total energy demand is 2,916MW and supply is 1,778MW, thus facing a massive shortfall of 1,138MW,” he said, adding 16 hours load shedding on feeders where line losses was above 80pc was being carried out in order to improve power voltage and ensure smooth supply of electricity to law abiding consumers.
He cited large-scale electricity theft, non-payment of bills culture, security issues, road blockages by defaulters viz a viz hook users and political interference due to voters’ pressure encouraging power stealing in Khyber Pakthunkkhwa.
Ikhtair Wali Khan, PMLN KP spokesman and member provincial assembly told APP that the PTI government has failed to end illegal power connections in KP, adding had the past rulers completed Mohmand and Bhasha dams timely then the present energy crisis would not have surfaced today.
He claimed that over 100 mini micro hydel power stations constructed by the PTI government with the help of NGOs in northern KP were either destroyed or damaged by the recent floods due to ill planning and wrong selection of sites.
As a result of poor planning and policies of the past rulers, he said that the energy import bill has swelled to $27 billion that has negative effects on the country’s economy.
To discourage illegal electricity connections, he said Aerial Bundled Cable (ABC) project has been approved for high line loss feeders of Peshawar, Bannu and Khyber districts where work has already been started.
The construction work on high voltage direct current (HVDC) convertor station was underway at tehsil Azakhel Bala in Nowshera district under CASA-1000 Project for transmission of 1300 megawatt inexpensive, clean and environment friendly electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan via Afghanistan to Pakistan. He said that foundation stone of a 500kV HVAC grid station has been laid at Nowshera.
Terming CASA-1000 Project as a great example of mutual cooperation of governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, he said the project was aimed at harnessing clean energy trade and building a shared regional electricity market, fighting climate change and increasing standard of living for their populations.
HVDC converter station Nowshera would be linked by an HVDC transmission line to efficiently transmit electricity from hydropower-rich Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan via Afghanistan and onward to Pakistan via Torkhum.
About eighty percent work on multi faceted Kurram Tangi dam Project’s Stage-I, being constructed in North Waziristan tribal district have been completed and the remaining work would hopefully be completed by June this year. On March 3, 2017, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif laid the foundation stone of Kurram Tangi dam in North Waziristan.
Kurram Tangi dam project was being implemented in two stages by Wapda and construction work at weir (dam) has been completed while Spira Ragha and Sphira Tala canals were almost built under stage-I.
On completion, Kurram Tangi dam has a total capacity of 83. 4 MW, would help control floodwater and irrigate barren 35,000-acre land making the province self-sufficient in agricultural production besides 1.2MAF water storage capacity.
Work on Mohmand dam costing Rs 309.6 billion has been restarted after this year flood devastations and would be completed by 2026. He said over 300 million gallons of water per day would be provided to Peshawar from Mohmand dam for drinking purposes with Rs957 million benefits.
As many as 2.86 billion units of environmentally friendly electricity would be provided to the national grid every year with an estimated Rs45.76 billion annual revenue of Mohmand dam with power generation capacity of 800 MW and storage of 1.2MAF water for agriculture consumption.
The project would provide 2.86 billion units of environmentally friendly electricity to the national grid every year with an estimated Rs45.76 billion annual revenue.
Ikhtair Wali said the project would supplement 160,000 acres of existing land while about 18,237acres of new land would be irrigated with its annual benefits of about Rs 2.23 billion. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had recently visited Mohmand dam site and reviewed the pace of work on it.
He added that the project would help protect Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera from floods with annual Rs45.76 billion revenue in terms of flood mitigation with overall benefits standing at Rs51 billion.
