Pakistan power outages worsen as hydropower generation falls

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s power authorities on Wednesday attributed widespread nighttime power outages to a sharp drop in hydropower generation, urging consumers to reduce electricity use during evening hours.

The Power Division said that hydropower output fell by 1,991 megawatts during the previous night, leading distribution companies to carry out higher-than-scheduled load management.

The shortfall during peak hours was around 4,500 megawatts, while total demand stood at about 18,000 megawatts, the statement said.

The division said the decline in hydropower generation was due to reduced water releases from dams, as provincial demand for irrigation water remained low.

Water regulator Indus River System Authority was releasing water in line with provincial requirements, which were significantly lower than last year due to rainfall and the crop harvesting season, the statement added.

Authorities said that load management was currently limited to nighttime hours, adding that there was no shortfall during the day.

The situation was expected to improve in the coming days as water releases from reservoirs increase, boosting hydropower generation, officials said adding that the vailability of RLNG would also help ease supply pressures.

The Power Division apologised for the additional outages and urged consumers to conserve electricity, particularly during peak nighttime hours.