Mawaiz Khan Akash: An American writer, journalist and editor Ambrose Bierce has rightly said, " Electricity seems destined to play a most important role in the arts and industries. The questions of its economical application to some purposes is still unsettled, but experiment has already proved that it will propel a street car better than a gas"
It is a well-fascinated fact America despite being a super power has also some technical problems in its electrical department, which cause 35-40 minutes scheduled or announced loadshedding, or some time it hovered around one hour. None can deny that there is no unannounced loadshedding in the country like America. Additionally Industrialists and Traders of all the Western countries are not expected to have faced any discomfort and dissatisfaction in their routine work while gaining electricity.
we talk about Asian countries, China takes the lead of all, claiming 24,000 large dams and 84,944 reservoirs of varying size with a total containing capacity of 492.4 billion cubic meters of water, including 403 large-scale reservoirs with a total storage capacity of 359.5 billion cubic meters of water. In addition, there exist 31,742-sluice works and 260,000 kilometer length of levees. (DTK). Chinese Industrialists, exporters and importers are dominating the world on the base of cheap electricity and infrastructure.
At the other hand Pakistan is hardly surviving in the world because of non-availability of proper electricity and day-by-day, it is worsening the economy. The power cutting amounts to 10-12 hours loadshedding in many parts of country and cities like Karachi are still witnessing 8-9 hours loadshedding. Unfortunately the newly democratic elected government made it expensive for businessmen and as well for domestic consumers as they took the charge of the country.
a citizen of Karachi I would prefer talking about the KESC shortsightedness which resulted the disappointment among citizens. The new management of KESC seems unqualified and unskilled to handle the issues and problems and blot the image of the country by resorting hourly loadshedding. The exporters are of the view that KESC deprived the economy of $22 billion export target for the current fiscal year. The top level management including CM House, Govern or House and other high officials don't witness the pinch of power cut but the problem with the micro entrepreneurs, cottage industry, small factories, shops and domestic consumers which cannot carry their daily business.
Despite many assurances in the high level meetings of high cost of production, power shortage and law and order situation, nothing is positively implemented in this contest. The Federal Minister for water and power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf announced in April provision of additional 300 megawatts of power to Karachi, now it seems either he has taken back decision or the new management of KESC in not contented with the decision. Although the decision was welcomed by industrialists but a bit criticism was there that the democratic government should set up a complete infrastructure to fulfill the requirements of industries and that the present set up is no long durable. I personally attended the brain storming session on 14 Oct 2008 organized be the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry. In that session Industrialists, businessmen and economist reiterated that continuous rise in power and gas tariffs, deteriorating law and order, depreciating rupee, widening trade deficit and depletion of foreign reserves were the major threats to economy.
two things can be scized in a way, firstly the government reduces the tariff of electricity and gas for the commercial and as well as for the domestic consumers and make sure a complete infrastructure for further provision of power and gas. Secondly, the business community maintain it's own power station to cope with loadshedding as the traders from all major markets including Clifton, Hyderi, Tariq Road, Saddar and Bahadurabab have established a strong force consisting of 150 men to challenge the current trends and tore.
to the point again, the KESC and WAPDA should profoundly look into their affairs before they intend to have made long-term strategies. They should find alternatives i.e. wind power, solar system, coal power stations and so on. Diesel-fired turbines, which are introduced in many countries. The World Bank study makes clear that how the countries, facing loadshedding, can cope with it while taking the resort with power rationing system. Power rationing system has successfully introduced in Brazil, China, Japan and others European countries. Thee should be a survey team that creates awareness among commercial and domestic consumers to how to save the electricity in real terms.  mawaiz.khan@businessmonitorpk.com