Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s power utility company) says limited electricity supply to residential customers in rural areas is related to seasonal power shortage.
A statement released by Barqi Tojik on October 13, in particular, says seasonal power shortage this year is projected to amount to more than one billion kWh.
The power shortage in autumn-winter period results from decreasing water inflow in the Vakhsh River and increase in consumption of electricity by residential customers and socio-economic sector.
Barqi Tojik notes that water inflow in Vakhsh River amounts to 2,000-2,200 cubic meters per second in summer period and it declines to 150-200 cubic meters per second in winter period.
Therefore, water stored in a reservoir powering the Nurek hydropower plant in winter period is used mostly for production of electricity.
To-date, the Nurek reservoir is reportedly fully filled with water.
At the same time, the previous years’ experience shows that it is necessary to carry out repairs on power transmission lines in order to ensure regular work of power transmission lines during autumn-winter period, according to the statement.
Recall, residents of some rural areas of Tajikistan complained that they have not had electricity from 8:00am to 5:00 pm since September 21. Complaints come practically from all regions of the country: Panjakent; Vakhsh; Tojikobod; Spitamen; Vahdat; Bobojon-Ghafourov; Roudaki; Hisor; Shahrinav; and some other districts and cities.
One of the social media users wrote in late September that when he asked employees of the local power grid about the reason for the blackout, they said, “We don’t know anything about the reason for the blackout. We cut off electricity on the orders of the leadership.”
Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik, however, said at the time that there are no restrictions on electricity consumption in the country.
He claimed that power interruptions were linked only to work on overhauling production and transmission infrastructure.
Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe and regional administrative centers and they seek to curb the country's rising electricity consumption. 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.
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