DUSHANBE, March 1, 2011, Asia-Plus — Barqi Tojik power holding (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in the country) cannot yet end the winter rationing of electricity, the source at Barqi Tojik told Asia-Plus today.
According to him, water inflows in the reservoir powering the country’s largest hydroelectric power plant (HPP) Norak have decreased in recent days.
“The power holding has submitted the electricity rationing schedule for March for consideration to the government but it has not yet been endorsed,” said the source, “The electricity rationing will probably end in mid-May when water inflows to the Vakhsh River increase.”
In the meantime, the country’s hydropower plants now generate 55-56 million kWh of electrical power per day, he added.
During the spring and summer, Tajikistan”s hydropower plants generate a huge amount of electricity that is exported to neighboring countries. But in the autumn and winter, especially if the summer was dry and the water level in reservoirs is low, electricity is rationed for about five or six months.
This autumn-winter season, electricity rationing was introduced in the country on November 3, 2010. Dushanbe, the provincial centers and the cities of Kulob, Norak, Roghun, Qairoqqum, Chkalovsk, Tursunzoda and Sarband as well as strategic sites were not affected by the electricity rationing, while smaller towns and rural areas had electricity for just 10 or 12 hours a day until February 21. On February 21, Barqi Tojik ended electricity rationing in the daytimes and rural areas now do not have electricity only from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am.
