Lahore/islamabad, (Pakistan Point News - 16th May, 2018) : Most parts of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad suffered a major power breakdown on Wednesday following technical fault in Tarbela, Muzaffargarh and Guddu power plant. According to spokesperson for power division, the power stations remained shut due to the fault, leaving a major part of the country without power. He said the power plant developed a technical fault due to hot weather.
He said that Mangla, Ghazi Barotha, Tarbela have been connected with national grid. The gross production of electricity has reached 12000 MW whereas the process to restore power has been initiated. The parliament has also been plunged into darkness from the morning while some of its floors were being supplied electricity from alternate sources. The spokesperson said that the staff of National Power Control is busy eradicating the technical fault and power is expected to be restored soon.
The spokesman said the South system is working and there is no supply failure to Sindh and Balochistan. The situation is normalising in Islamabad as Mangla Dam has been attached to the National Grid, after which 12,000 megawatt production has been achieved, added the spokesperson. He said Ghazi Barotha has been synchronized and connected to the national grid. According to the power plant officials, the sudden blackout due to technical difficulties affected Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Sahiwal along with other cities in Punjab.
Power supply was suspended to Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Swat and Lakki Marwat.and other parts of KP. Officials of National Power Control Centre (NPCC) said it might take seven to eight hours to restore the power supply. According to the water and power ministry, the electricity shortfall has exceeded 7,000 megawatt once again. This leaves the production at 11,800 megawatt. Meanwhile, Minister for Power Awais Leghari has said that electricity is being restored to the system after certain power plants tripped off in the provinces.
Speaking in the National Assembly on the blackout, the minister told that the situation has been normalised in the Federal capital. However, it will take two to three hours to fully restore the power system. He said an inquiry will also be conducted to detect the causes of the blackout. The minister explained that Secretary Power Division himself is sitting in the National Power Control Centre in Islamabad to monitor the situation closely.
The prime minister was chairing a parliamentary committee session when it went dark. The national grid developed a fault just a day ahead of the month of Ramazan despite the government's promises. As a result of the power breakdown, activities in hospitals, schools and offices were affected. The Punjab Assembly session in Lahore also got delayed. In Karachi, it will take another five days to fix the Bin Qasim power plant of K-Electric. The city is facing six- to eight-hour-long power cuts. Pakistan faces an annual electricity shortfall of around 4,000 megawatts in the peak summer months of June and July when temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius in the country's centre.
