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Punjab Power Crisis: 16-Hour Outages Hit Rural Areas Amid Gas Shortage

Residents across Punjab are grappling with severe power outages, with rural areas served by Mepco experiencing cuts of up to 16 hours daily. Urban centers like Lahore and Faisalabad face shorter, but significant, disruptions of several hours. The crisis is exacerbated by a halt in LNG imports from Qatar until May, severely limiting fuel for gas-fired power plants. Authorities attribute some outages to scheduled maintenance and a policy to curb electricity theft on high-loss feeders.

Key Points: Punjab Power Outages: 16-Hour Cuts, Gas Supply Crisis

  • Rural areas face up to 16-hour outages
  • Urban centers have 3-4 hour daily cuts
  • LNG imports halted until May 9
  • Outages linked to maintenance and anti-theft policy
2 min read

Pakistan: Punjab residents struggle with prolonged hours of power outages

Rural Punjab faces up to 16-hour daily power cuts as LNG imports halt and supply-demand gap widens. Urban areas also report outages.

"LNG imports from Qatar have been halted until May 9, leaving the country with limited fuel - Petroleum Division Official"

Lahore, April 14

Frequent power outages have been reported across both urban and rural parts of Punjab, as distribution companies struggle to cope with a widening gap between electricity supply and demand, as reported by Dawn.

The situation appears to be more severe in rural regions, particularly those served by Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco), where outages are being implemented frequently, ranging from hourly interruptions to as much as 16 hours a day in some localities.

Residents in districts such as Muzaffargarh and Khanewal have reported prolonged and unexpected power cuts, noting that the situation has worsened in recent days without a clear explanation from authorities.

Urban centres are also affected, though to a comparatively lesser extent. In cities like Faisalabad and Lahore, residents have reported outages lasting between three to four hours daily, while nearby rural areas continue to face significantly longer disruptions.

Similar complaints have emerged from areas under the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco), according to the Dawn.

However, a spokesperson for Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) denied any major shortfall in Lahore, stating that electricity demand and supply remained largely balanced in the provincial capital.

She said the areas from where loadshedding was being reported had witnessed scheduled power shutdowns observed due to repair or maintenance work.

According to the official, reported outages in certain areas are primarily due to scheduled maintenance or repair work. Additionally, power cuts are being enforced in high-loss feeder areas as part of a policy to curb electricity theft.

Meanwhile, a senior official from Pakistan's Petroleum Division indicated that the power crisis has been exacerbated by a sharp reduction in gas supply to power plants.

The official noted that liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Qatar have been halted until May 9, leaving the country with limited fuel to run gas-fired power facilities. Currently, only 90 million cubic feet per day of indigenous gas is being supplied to the power sector, with expectations of a rise to 160 million cubic feet per day (mmfcd) in May in Punjab. The official also highlighted that gas supply to the fertiliser sector remains suspended and is likely to resume in May.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's the rural areas that suffer the most, as always. The spokesperson's denial doesn't match the ground reports from Lahore and Faisalabad. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? 😅 Wishing strength to the people dealing with this, summer is just starting.
A
Aman W
Halted LNG imports until May 9? That's a serious supply chain issue. It shows how dependent their power sector is on imports. In India, we've been pushing hard for solar and other renewables to reduce such dependencies. A lesson for all.
S
Sarah B
Reading this from Delhi where we also have occasional cuts. Can't imagine 16 hours without power, especially with the heat. The official blaming "high-loss feeder areas" and theft is a common excuse here too. The real solution is infrastructure investment.
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Vikram M
Basic utilities are a right. When the fertiliser sector's gas is also suspended, it will hit agriculture next. A domino effect on the economy. Hope the situation improves before the peak summer months.
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Kriti O
While I sympathize with the residents, I have to respectfully point out that the article only quotes Dawn. It would be good to have more sources or official data on the supply-demand gap. The Lesco spokesperson's version is very different from the reported public experience.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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