Daily Times

Sir: Summer season has set in and with this, usage of air conditioners, electric fans and other gadgets has considerably increased as everyone wants to remain in cool environment and avoid hot and humid weather hazards. Increased use of electronic gadgets for cool atmosphere has quite obviously effected electricity power generation supply and demand position which keeps widening every now then with increased load.

Despite all these usage of cooling equipment all around, everyone is raising hue and cry and protesting here and there against scheduled and unscheduled electricity load shedding.

It is matter of bitter fact that we as a nation have, somehow, have become used to consuming much more than what we produce be it electricity, vegetables, fruits, pulses etc Ever-increasing population iis another factor which also adversely effects power supply and demand position.

The federal government no doubt is tackling energy crisis on top priority basis and power projects are under execution, near completion and being completed with a speed in order to bridge the gap between energy supply and demand. Power generation projects take some years to be completed but still work on more than a dozen power projects based on coal, thermal, hydel sources is going on quite speedily to ensure completion of more and more power plants at the earliest to rid the people of lingering electricity load shedding by bridging the gap between power supply and demand as much as possible.

But in all fairness, have we ever thought that by making bit of sacrifice by reducing usage of air conditioners only, which consume lot of energy, the widening gap between power supply and demand can be brought down considerably ? If the air conditioners in the luxurious government offices are switched on only when the incumbent Sahibs arrive and not couple of hours earlier and if the shopping markets, centres and malls are closed earlier in the evening and at least one or two air conditioners are switched off in every bungalow in posh localities, then at least duration of electricity outages will be reduced. Just going on demanding rights without any responsibility, going on consuming everything that comes our way than what we produce is certainly not advisable.

If a beginning in conserving and reducing energy consumption by switching off air conditioners at least is made from the top at the level of the president, the prime minister, the governors and chief ministers of the provinces and the federal and provincial ministers, by making public announcement in this regard, then the electricity load shedding will be minimized within no time, please.

ASMAAR BILAL

Lahore

Published in Daily Times, June 24th, 2017.