Whether it is summer or a pleasant rainy day, we Pakistani’s cannot enjoy the perks of any season owing to interrupted electricity supply at our homes. Last night the continuous fluctuation of electricity made it difficult to have a sound sleep. Checking whether one phase of electricity in the house is coming or not was hustling for every single member of the house. This is the story of almost every single house as many areas in Pakistan are plagued with electricity issues in this scorching heat. The hours-long load shedding, low power voltage, and fluctuation are damaging the electronic appliances in the houses.
Even though the recent statement of Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar has revealed that Pakistan has recorded its highest-ever electricity generation at 24,284 MW. Does the question arise why many parts of the country are still having interrupted electricity supply?. There are several reasons behind the disrupted distribution and transmission of electricity into various parts of the country. It is important to understand the fact that with the increase in Pakistan’s population, transmitting electricity to consumers has now become a daunting task. The harsh weather has made it difficult to carry out day-to-day activities without AC. The panic of using electricity everywhere in the country has increased the demand for electricity supply.
It would be pertinent to say that the dwindled economy of Pakistan has worsened due to the spread of the pandemic. It has impacted the lives of many people in Pakistan. The high unemployment rate and spending scorching summers of Pakistan without AC and other electronic essentials has become difficult for every middle class residing in the country. On the one side, people complain about continuous electricity disruption and on the other side, some people are involved in power theft. A criminal practice of stealing electrical power to get rid of vast electricity bills. The unprecedented economic challenges have made it difficult for people to pay electricity bills, therefore, people are more indulged in such criminal practices which further becomes a reason for continuous power disruptions in many areas of the country.
Moreover, since 1976 Pakistan has been relying on Tarbela Dam for electricity supply. The amount of water in our rivers increases every summer due to the melting of glaciers. Unfortunately, Pakistan is not taking advantage of the natural resources which Allah has bestowed us.
According to the survey conducted by International organizations, Pakistan is wasting around 30 million acres-foot of water. Less number of dams and no enlightened vision to store river water is going to impact our future generations. Relying only on a few dams like Mangla and Tarbela for fulfilling the electricity needs of the densely populated country is quite alarming. Currently, Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project has been initiated for doubling the hydel generation which will add around 9,000 MW to the national grid.
There is a need to restore our increasing river waters which are wasted every year without utilizing them for meeting the energy demands of the population. Another way for dealing with load shedding in the summer season is through network shielding for counteracting energy illegally. Energy theft can be minimized and avoided by shielding all equipment and electrical infrastructure. Some anti-theft products can aid in network security and, as a result, prevent power theft. These products make it impossible to access the insides of cables and prevent electrical fields and high-frequency transmissions from reaching circuits near the shielded ones especially in overcrowded areas in Pakistan. Lastly, there is a need to talk about our most pressing problems such as managing water, loss of water, addressing water scarcity and water conservation awareness otherwise our future generation would have to suffer.