According to the Pakistani Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf , the hydro power generation in the country will improve by end of January 2009 when the present canal closure is expected to end. The minister said that all the efforts are being made to compensate for the loss of hydro generation through different means. The hydro power generation has decreased sharply due to canal closure and reduction of water releases from Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that taking notice of increasing power crises in the country the president and the prime minister have issued various instructions which are being followed to improve power situation in the country.
The minister said that additional electricity of 1500 megawatt (MW) to 2000 MW has been added in the system however the country was facing power deficit of around 3000 MW.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said “We will not go to constructing any such dam which is controversial and the government is planning several other mega projects in this sector like Diamir-Bhasha Dam.”
He continued that the country is facing acute power shortage due to gap between demand and supply as power consumption is increasing, however the minister assured that by December 2009 the government will include 3500 MW electricity in the system.
The minister has assured that there will be no load shedding after December 2009.
Independent power projects require three years to become operational and four years are required for hydro generation. But the governments, in the past, failed to make any such plan for power generation due to which around 3500 MW shortfall is being estimated in hydro generation during peak time.
Ashraf said that the government has planned to import 250 MW power house from Turkey to provide electricity to Karachi. He continued that the government has planned short-term, medium-term and long-term strategy to produce sufficient energy besides improving situation through rental power plants.