ISLAMABAD: The authorities conceded on Thursday that due to obsolete transmission system the national grid was simply incapable of supplying more than 15,000MW of electricity to consumers.

They also acknowledged that they were resorting to 25-30 per cent of loadshedding at the time of Sehr and Iftar.

Water and Power Secre­tary Nargis Sethi told the National Assembly’s Stand­ing Committee on Water and Power that the transmission system was incapable of sustaining a supply of more than 15,000MW, as overloading led to tripping and other serious problems.

“In case the load exceeds 15,000MW, it seems the entire system has been put on fire,” she remarked during the meeting.

25-30pc of loadshedding being done at Sehr and Iftar timings

Ms Sethi said the system needed to be upgraded fast. Efforts should also be made to improve the rate of recovery of dues.

She, however, urged the committee led by Arshad Khan Leghari to bear with the current team of power managers because “we will give positive results soon”.

State Minister Abid Sher Ali admitted that people were forced to endure electricity shortage of between 25 and 30 per cent at the time of Sehr and Iftar. At these times the demand rose to 20,000MW but the transmission system could not supply more than 15,000MW.

The minister said that in an effort to control theft, 100,000 electricity meters had been changed in Lahore on the directives of the prime minister.

Related: Power subsidy being increased in Ramazan

The committee also reviewed the steps taken to control power theft during the tenure of former chief executive of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) Arshad Rafique. Lesco chief Rao Zamir­uddin said that 4,234 first information reports were registered during the tenure of Mr Rafique and 58,365 detection bills of Rs1.6 billion sent out. So far Rs685 million had been recovered.

Answering a question, Abid Sher Ali said it had become “impossible” for the government to provide electricity to tube wells at Rs10.34 per unit. The rate would have to be increased by up to Rs2 per unit.

He said the government was providing subsidy to farmers through other means, including schemes for cheaper tractors and fertilisers. He said the government was trying to complete power generation projects at the earliest so that electricity shortage could be overcome.

To a question, Ms Sethi confirmed that there was a shortage of electricity transformers because of some pending cases in courts but the government was trying to overcome the problem.

Also read: Extended blackouts during Ramazan feared

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2014