ISLAMABAD: Electricity shortfall is getting out of control owing to financial and fuel supply constraints even before the start of summer.

A senior government official told Dawn on Tuesday that demand for electricity has not increased but power generation has declined because of reduction in supply of furnace oil, lower output by hydropower units and non-provision of natural gas as payable of the sector have gone beyond Rs250 billion in recent days.

On an average, the electricity demand this week stood at about 11,000MW against generation of about 8,000MW. As a result, the utilities were resorting to about 10 hours of loadshedding per day across the country.

The official explained that a shortfall of 300MW during off-peak season corresponded to about one hour of loadshedding. During the peak season a shortfall of 500MW meant a loadshedding of one hour across the country.

Meanwhile, the water and power ministry has largely been divided into two camps, leading to a situation where top officials seldom talk to each other or sit down together to solve day-to-day affairs of the power sector.

The official said the ministry’s acting Secretary Sikandar Ahmad Rai had transferred Additional Secretary Arshad Mirza, Joint Secretary (Administration) Mohammad Ali Shahzada and Joint Secretary (Distribution Companies) Dr Zafarullah on the last day of the PPP government, but they were restored by the Supreme Court.

Mr Mirza, who is senior to the acting secretary, is not at talking terms with Mr Rai and so is the case with joint secretaries for administration and distribution companies. Both Mr Mirza and Mr Rai are Grade 21 officers.

Mr Rai and Deputy Secretary (Administration) Umar Farooq normally coordinate matters with Wapda chairman Syed Raghib Shah. Because of the infighting, most of the other officers avoid taking sides.

According to the officer, because of the lack of coordination within the power ministry the other ministries are reluctant to provide additional funds or even fuel to increase power generation.