Achi news desk-
LAHORE – People in Lahore and parts of Pakistan are suffering from a double whammy between extreme heat and unannounced load shedding, as power shortage crossed 5,500 MW on Saturday. LESCO and other power companies are struggling to meet the growing demand, leading to frequent blackouts across the region.
Amid rising temperatures, the country of 240 million people faces a worsening energy crisis as rising demand for electricity outstrips available supply. The National Power Control Center (NPCC) reported a demand of 25,500 MW, while the total generation is only 20,200 MW, resulting in a shortfall of over 5,000 MW and load shedding in urban and rural areas.
Peshawar, unannounced load shedding increases as temperatures rise
Urban areas face 4 to 6 hours of power outages, six hours of additional load shedding related to maintenance, while rural areas experience more than eight hours of load shedding in high damage and theft areas.
Islamabad and Rawalpindi are also facing load shedding of four to six hours for restoration purposes. Energy shortages persist despite efforts to increase power production. Currently 6,200 MW of electricity is generated from hydropower sources, with dams and various thermal plants accounting for the major share.
Revolving debt in the energy sector has reached $17.5 billion, which poses a major challenge to the sector’s operations and Pakistan’s economy. Urgent reforms are needed to tackle inefficiencies and reduce mounting debt to stabilize power supply and reduce financial pressure on the country.
