Power distribution companies (Discos) across Pakistan have begun forced loadshedding as the national electricity shortfall surged to nearly 4,000 Megawatts (MW), including 1,100MW in the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) area alone, which covers five districts.
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Officials attributed the shortfall to dense fog, which has repeatedly tripped power plants in the southern region, coupled with negligible hydel generation during the ongoing winter. The increased use of heating appliances has also pushed electricity demand up by about 2,000MW compared to last year.
“The reduction in gas supply to Lahore-based power plants, along with the closure of one unit at the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant, has further constrained generation capacity,” said an official, requesting anonymity. “As a result, Discos have no choice but to implement loadshedding across Punjab, Sindh, and other provinces.”
Consumers are feeling the impact, with urban areas facing three to six hours of daily outages, while rural regions are experiencing six to 12 hours of blackouts. In Sukkur, city residents endure three to five hours of loadshedding, while interior Sindh sees up to 12 hours daily. Lahore residents reported similar urban interruptions, which have also affected water supply from the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), leaving households without warm water during the cold spell.
Lesco CEO Ramzan Butt explained that the shortfall in Lahore and surrounding districts arises from a gap between demand and supply. At 7:45pm on Monday, Lesco’s total demand was 3,241MW, while the national grid supplied only 2,160MW, creating a deficit of almost 1,100MW. Fog-related tripping of power plants and reduced solar generation due to net-metering users returning to the grid have exacerbated the situation.
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Authorities said restoration work is underway and the power shortfall is expected to ease in the coming days, though residents were urged to prepare for continued interruptions in the meantime.