DUSHANBE, April 15, 2011, Asia-Plus – | Following increase in water flow in the Vakhsh River, Barqi Tojik (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Tajikistan) will end electricity rationing in Dushanbe today, Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik, told Asia-Plus today morning.
In Dushanbe, electricity rationing was introduced on March 25 and since that time, electricity supply to residential customers in some areas of Dushanbe has been cut off from 24:00 to 5:00 am; there are no limitations on power to strategic buildings in the city.
In the meantime, power to other parts of the country is distributed sporadically. According to Yodgori, electricity supply in the regions will be increased today. The supply of daily electricity to residential customers in rural areas that had electricity for only 2 hours per day will be increased to 10 hours – five hours of electricity in the morning (from 5:00 am to10:00 am) and five in the evening (from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm).
The Barqi Tojik spokesman says the water flow in the Vakhsh River is currently 450 cubic meters per second and electricity rationing will be ended in the country only after water flow in the river rises to 550-600 cubic meters per second.
Electricity rationing is usually introduced in Tajikistan in November and lasts through April next year. Measures seeking to curb the country’s rising electricity consumption are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe. In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the Norak reservoir.
