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The reasons of Power Crisis in Pakistan

Some people say that the recent power deficit is because of the wrong polices of the previous govt, whereas another group has a view that it is because the sharp increase in demand plus the climatical changes are mostly responsible. These theories can be seen in different regional point of view. When we observe the power deficit in my district, it is totally changed as compare to the national level. Our district Chitral is the only district in Pakistan, having an extra power still passing through load shedding period. According to the Dawn�s report in previous week, there is extra 2MW power in Reshun hydel power station, which can be connected with Chitral city.

In the national level, the crises of power is severe than my district, the economy is declining day by day, the common laborers are losing their jobs and the life of a common Pakistani has become a burden instead of blessing because of power shutdown. The power related demonstrations can be seen every part of our country. Our country is blessed with the huge natural reserves but the policy maker never bothered about it. If seems that they had a tunnel vision about this power situation in Pakistan and never thought in a broader way and never visualized the current situation, where the power deficit reached 3000 MW and still soaring up. In our country the coal reserve estimates are said to be equivalent to at least 850 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas about 30 times. Than Pakistan�s proves gas reserves of 28 TCF. Other estimates put reserves equivalent at a minimum of 400 billion barrels of oil equal to the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran put together and by using only two percent of the existing Thar Coal reserves, Pakistan could generate around 20,000 megawatts of electricity for almost 40 years. Unfortunately with the world�s largest deposits, only one percent Coal is being used for power generation in Pakistan. As against this, 55 percent electricity in neighbouring India is based on Coal, 58 percent in Germany, 90 percent in Poland, 50 percent in Australia and 30 percent in Russia.

Having observed the above facts and figures, we can easily conclude that the reasons of the present power crisis in Pakistan is partly because of mismanagement and partly because of the narrow vision of our policy makers. The present govt should now take drastic actions to take out our beloved country out the darkest period.


Bashir Hussain Azad
Chitral.