Two Mangla Dam units back online

LAHORE: Two of ten Mangla Dam units Dam came online Friday afternoon, adding 220MW to the overstretched Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco).

According to the Pepco Managing Director Mr. Tahir Basharat Cheema, the rest of the eight units would come back on 25 July. The work is in full swing on other units, and they should be online 15 days down the line.

The Power Wing of Wapda was working on two lines, and it would also be finishing its work within 15 days from now, he said.

Mr. Fazal Ahmad, member (power) says that Wapda had already planned the replacement of the line and had placed import orders. It was only waiting to see off the peak summer season, and planned replacement work for November, but unfortunately the breakdown occurred earlier. ‘The Power Wing is on the job and will also be finishing its work along with Pepco. Everything needed for the work in lined up,’ he said.

‘A combination of bad weather (strong winds) and terrorism have complicated Pepco’s job,’ says Mr. Cheema. The company is simultaneously working on many lines; some hit by winds and some by terrorists. Tarbella-Sh. Muhammadi 500KV line has been repeatedly hit by terrorists during the past week, and teams are working hard to bring it back. The company even lost one of its workers when he stepped on a landmine on Wednesday, though the area was cleared by police.

Similarly, Multan-Yousufwala line went offline when it was hit by strong winds early this month and has engaged some engineers there. Though power is being routed through alternate sources, the system is running without backup for the area, and Pepco is working hard to restore the line. Another 220KV line at Muzaffarabad was hit by the winds, making it difficult to move power from AES-PakGEN (an independent power producer), and so was 500KV line at Khanewal, he said.

Another 220KV line between Sibi and Quetta was hit by terrorists, who blasted a pylon. As a result, low voltage abounds. Though rehabilitation is ongoing, the hilly terrain is complicating matters, according to Cheema, who added: ‘All these problems are adding to the woes of the company — overstretching its human resources and infrastructural limits.’

Mr. Akram Arian, Chief Executive of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), thinks distribution problems could be lessened if the consumers exercise some honesty in declaring their correct domestic load. People keep on adding air conditioners and electrical appliances without informing the power planners. The load indicated in the distribution system is nowhere close to actual consumption. The distribution companies are ready to increase the domestic load of each consumer without charges, if informed properly. It would bring more transparency to the system, and equip companies for better service, he said. link.....