DUSHANBE, January 18, Asia-Plus – Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have considerably reduced electricity supplies to Tajikistan.
According to Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, since the beginning of last week, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have reduced electricity supplies to Tajikistan more than two times.
Rashid Gulov, deputy engineer-in-chief with Barqi Tojik, said that authorities of the two countries justified the decision to reduce electricity supplies as resulting from heavy rains and snowfalls that hit the Central Asian region, adding that “it is a temporary measure.” “Because of cold weather domestic consumption of electricity in these countries has increased and that is why they were forced for reduce electrical power supplies to Tajikistan,” Gulov said.
According to him, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have reduced daily supply of electricity to the country to some 6 million kWh.
“At present Tajikistan daily receives some 3 million kWh of electrical power from Uzbekistan and almost the same amount from Kyrgyzstan,” said the Barqi Tojik official, “Therefore additional electricity supply limitation has been introduced in the country.” The electricity rationing has also hit some areas of Dushanbe.
“It is not clear yet how long the additional electricity limitation will last,” Gulov said, adding that the Norak hydroelectric power station has also reduced generation of electricity following a decline in the water level in the reservoir powering the plant. At present the Norak station generates less than 30 million kWh of electricity per day, according to Gulov.
