ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s power crisis worsens as electricity shortfall crosses 4,000-megawatt mark, forcing authorities to increase load-shedding across cities and villages.
The worsening crisis pushed the country’s already strained power system further toward the brink, with consumers now facing three to four hours of load-shedding in several urban and rural areas.
Several power plants have reportedly gone offline, while a decline in hydropower generation has further widened the gap between electricity demand and supply.
Electricity demand in LESCO region reached around 4,000 megawatts, while available supply has fallen to approximately 3,000 megawatts, leaving a staggering 1,000-megawatt shortfall. With the supply gap widening, load-shedding has intensified across the city and surrounding rural areas, bringing fresh disruption to households, businesses and industries.
The national grid is facing pressure from multiple directions. Several power plants have dropped out of the system, while lower hydropower generation has further reduced available electricity. The resulting supply crunch has forced distribution companies across the country to increase the duration of outages, with consumers once again bearing the brunt of the worsening crisis.
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The power sector is now facing another major challenge as the country grapples with diesel shortages after already experiencing gas supply problems. Fuel shortages are adding further pressure to electricity generation at a time when the national system is already struggling to meet demand.
The latest surge in the power shortfall has brought back fears of prolonged and widespread outages. Consumers are facing longer periods without electricity, while the sudden increase in load-shedding has raised serious concerns about the stability of the national power system.
The crisis could intensify further if offline power plants are not brought back into operation and hydropower generation does not recover.
