Power crisis intensifies across country

LAHORE: No sigh of relief for people of Pakistan as the ongoing power impasse has intensified even further, surging the 11 to 18 hours-long laodshedding in many parts of state located in four provinces with no exception whatsoever including the federal capital Islamabad, Geo news reported. According to details, most of the small factories have been shut down due to unavailability of electricity and low gas pressure. The thermal powerhouses have testified abject cut in electricity generation after decline in hydel generation, worsening the already torturing electricity shortfall to 4000 megawatt per day, knowledgeable sources said. PEPCO officials were noticed to have claimed generation of 9000 megawatt of electricity through making operational all Independent Power Producers (IPPs) but merely around 7500 megawatt electricity could be generated through them thus far whereas the overall demand ligers around 11,500 megawatt, sources further said. Consumers have lodged many complaints against unannounced long hours power cuts, along voicing serious questions of sky-high claims made by federal water and power minister which stated that government would overcome power outages by the end of 2009.