DUSHANBE, February 8, Asia-Plus — Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding introduced electricity rationing in Dushanbe yesterday night.
The Barqi Tojik head Sharifkhon Samiyev yesterday evening appeared on Tajik national TV to give details of a new power supply schedule introduced in the capital city. He announced new measures rationing electricity supplies. According to him, the measures have been introduced in all districts of Dushanbe and seek to curb the city’s rising electricity consumption.
The rationing was introduced yesterday night and resulted in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to 10 hours – five of electricity in the morning (from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m.) and five in the evening (from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.).
Samiyev noted that the rationing affects all residential buildings and enterprises, with the only exceptions limited to “facilities of statewide importance.”
The power holding top manager noted that before that Dushanbe had received electricity supplied regularly, while residents of other regions of the country have had electrical power only for three hours per day – 1½ hours in the morning and 1½ in the evening.
He added that strict power supply limitations would affect all cities and districts of the country. “Beginning on February 8, the supply of daily electrical power in the Khatlon province will be reduced from 3-3.5 million kWh to 2 million kWh, districts subordinate to the center will receive totaling only 1 million kWh of electricity per day,” Samiyev said.
Commenting on reasons for introduction of the electricity rationing, Samiyev noted that it had been introduced due to electricity shortages and a critical situation at the Norak hydroelectric power station (HPS). According to him, the water levels at the Norak reservoirs have neared critical level, and over the first six days of February, the inflow of water inflow in the reservoir has been 80-90 cubic meters per second, while the normal rate for this period is 150-200 cubic meters per second.
“Meteorologists says it will get warmer next week and we will plan to raise power imports from neighboring countries,” Samiyev said, noting that power imports will increase up to 10 million kWh of electricity per day by the end of this week.
He also noted that the first of four units of Russian-funded Santuda-1 power plant that was introduced into operation on January 20 currently generates 2.5 million kWh of electrical power per day. In all, it has generated 35 million kWh of electricity since January 20.
Samiyev apologized to the city residents and said that power holding appreciates their understanding and wishes to assure its customers that it is doing everything under its control to resume regular power supply as soon as possible.
