Lahore loadshedding has peaked in recent days, with forced power cuts and tripping hitting the city and nearby districts hardest after dark, Dawn reported on Saturday. Over the past week, urban areas faced six to eight hours of outages. Rural areas faced eight to 16 hours.
Residents report hourly cuts
Consumers say the outages are also hitting areas that are not classed as high-loss or low-revenue feeders, where power theft is common. A resident of Johar Town said he faces about eight hours of cuts a day. The previous night, he said, the power went off every hour or half hour, and the repeated switching damaged his appliances.
Another resident near Thokar Niaz Baig said conditions were getting worse. He said field officials of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) were not answering calls from consumers. Kasur, Okara, Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura are also facing severe cuts.
Why the cuts are worse at night
A Lesco officer, who was not named, told Dawn the company has a considerable power shortfall and cannot supply uninterrupted electricity. Rooftop solar panels help during the day, he said. However, many users shift back to the grid in the evening and at night, which sharply raises demand.
The officer also pointed to a likely supply problem. Some power plants fired by imported liquefied natural gas (RLNG) are not running because of low gas supply. He blamed delayed RLNG cargoes from Qatar amid the ongoing Middle East war. Lesco’s chief executive and spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
The officer said conditions will not improve until the weather changes. In his view, rain is the only real solution to reduce loadshedding.
Pressure on the wider energy system
The problem is not limited to Punjab. Dawn separately reported that K-Electric may have to carry out load management as an extreme measure during peak night hours in Karachi.
The shortage comes as Pakistan deals with high fuel costs. Petrol recently rose to Rs398.96 a liter. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik also told a National Assembly committee this week that regional tensions had disrupted fuel supplies, Geo News reported.
Lesco has not announced a timeline for relief. Consumers who face repeated outages can register complaints with their distribution company. Wire Examiner will update this story if the company issues a statement.
Sources: Dawn, Geo News.
