DUSHANBE, March 1, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Tajik authorities have reportedly eased electricity rationing introduced in the provinces.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR), the electricity rationing was eased on March 1.

An official source at a MoEWR says they supply of electricity was increased in daylight.  “If the weather remains warm, it cannot be ruled out that the electricity rationing will be lifted in the country in the near future,” the source noted.

We will recall that electricity rationing was introduced in rural areas of Tajikistan on October 26 and it resulted in the supply of daily electrical power in rural areas being reduced to eighteen hours – from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Electricity rationing has not affected Dushanbe as well as the cities of Khujand, Qurghon Teppa, Kulob, Tursunzoda, and Chkalovsk as well as the majority of districts of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

In GBAO, Tajikistan’s only private power company, Pamir Energy Company (Pamir Energy), operates.  This company is responsible for electricity deliveries in the region and the majority of districts in Gorno Badakhshan now have regular power supply.

In November, Tajik authorities reportedly toughened electricity rationing for rural areas.

Since November 1, they had had electricity only nine hours per day – four hours in the morning (from 5:00 am to 9:00 am) and five hours in the evening (from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm).

The power rationing was reportedly been toughened in order to provide stable water inflow into the reservoir powering the Norak hydroelectric power plant (HPP).

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 March or 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.