Residents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing power outages ranging from a frustrating two hours to a grueling 20 hours a day, according to a recent report by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO).
The extent of the electricity crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been revealed, highlighting widespread losses and significant load shedding across the province.
PESCO is struggling to cope with the massive losses, with zero load shedding only possible on 324 industrial and independent feeders with less than 10% losses. The company is working to address the issue, but the scale of the problem is daunting.
As the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffer through the electricity crisis, there are calls for urgent action to address the root causes of the problem. Until then, residents will continue to face long hours without electricity, leaving them in the dark.
A document from the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) reveals a shocking amount of lost revenue.
This year alone, a staggering Rs 195 billion worth of electricity has been stolen! On top of that, customers owe PESCO a hefty Rs 228 billion in unpaid bills. This financial strain makes it difficult for the company to consistently supply power across the province.
Documents indicate that out of PESCO's 1,305 feeders, only 156 maintain losses below 10 percent. These feeders experience minimal disruption, with zero load shedding observed. Conversely, 156 feeders with losses at 10% endure two-hour outages, impacting local residents and businesses alike.
Further breakdown reveals that feeders with losses between 10% to 20% face two-hour load shedding, with financial losses estimated at Rs 6 billion and arrears exceeding Rs 5 billion.
Similarly, feeders with higher losses see prolonged load shedding durations, such as 16 hours for feeders with 60% to 80% losses and limited power availability of only four hours for feeders with over 80% losses.
The worst-hit are the 159 feeders with more than 80% losses, which receive electricity for only 4 hours a day. The total financial loss due to these feeders is Rs 13 billion, with arrears of over Rs 12 billion.
