LAHORE: Power distribution companies across Pakistan have begun forced loadshedding after the country’s electricity shortfall surged to nearly 4,000MW, including a 1,100MW deficit in the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) area, which covers Lahore and four surrounding districts.
Officials say the crisis has persisted for several days due to dense fog triggering repeated tripping at power plants in the southern region, while hydropower generation remains negligible in winter. The electricity demand has also risen by roughly 2,000MW compared to last year because of increased use of heating appliances.
Further constraints have come from reduced gas supply to Lahore-based power plants and the closure of a unit at the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant, leaving Discos with no choice but to implement scheduled power cuts across Punjab, Sindh, and other provinces.
Consumers are enduring long outages, with urban areas facing three to six hours of loadshedding and rural areas up to 12 hours daily. In Lahore, water supply from tube-wells has also been disrupted, leaving residents without warm water amid cold weather.
Lesco CEO Ramzan Butt confirmed that the company is unable to meet demand due to zero hydel generation, offline solar net-metering systems, and plant trippings caused by dense fog. Authorities are working to restore capacity and ease the shortfall in the coming days.
