DUSHANBE, December 28, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- On the occasion of the New Year holiday, electricity rationing will be lifted in the country for two days – on December 31, 2011 and January 1, 2012, Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for the Barqi Tojik state electricity company, told Asia-Plus today.

“As of December 28, water levels at the Norak reservoir are at the point of 896.18 meters above sea level, which is 60 centimeters lower than last year,” said Yodgori, “Current water inflow rate in the Vakhsh River is 210 cubic meters per second.”

We will recall that this year Barqi Tojik announced the imposition of a new rationing for electricity supplies throughout the country on October 13.  The rationing has gone into effect in the regions, with the exception of the capital Dushanbe and other large cities of the country.

Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe and seek to curb the country''s rising electricity consumption. The rationing is introduced in October or November and lasts through April next year.  The rationing results in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to 12 or 10 hours.  In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the country''s reservoirs powering the main hydroelectric power plants.