With surging mercury to maximum 40 degree centigrade, Karachiites on Thursday suffered at least 12 hours of electricity loadshedding because Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) could only supply 1710-MW against the demand of 2350-MW, falling short of 640-MW.

MUCH is being written on DST. Some people have even sought legal redress in courts to force the government to undo DST.

Let me give some important reasons why DST is of immense value:

a) The government announced that 250 MW electricity was saved last year through DST. There should really be no other reason needed to repeat DST every year.

Ms Karin Kortman, Germany

Energy scarcity has become more serious for the energy-deficient growing economies having insufficient resources to combat the environmental pollution, said former HEC chairman Dr Attaur Rehman in his inaugural speech as chief guest at a three-day international conference.

The government on Monday constituted a committee to take provincial governments on board for drafting amendments in the 'Power Policy 2002', particularly hydropower projects, official sources told Business Recorder. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Board of Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), presided over by the Minister for Water and Power, Pervez Ashraf.

THE discovery of coal in Tharparkar district has given the country an alternative source of energy. Sindh has coal resources at Lakhra, Thatta, Badin, Jhampir and Thar coalfields, but only Lakhra is operational with annual production of two million tons. Total coal resources are estimated to be 186.5 billion tons, which is ranked as lignite suitable for power generation.

Special adviser to chief minister Pervez Malik has said that the government will work on the recommendations made by experts during a two-day conference on the prevailing energy crisis.

Chairing the concluding session of the conference here on Wednesday, he pledged to incorporate these recommendations into government policies.

Gujranwala Electric Supply Company (Gepco) has constituted various teams for the awareness of consumers on energy saving and its advantages. Talking to newsmen, Gepco Chief Executive Gujranwala region Rana Muhammad Ashraf on Wednesday said the teams would apprise general public, especially the owners of CNG stations, petrol pumps and traders, of ways to save energy to ensure smooth power supply.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director Rune Stroem has advised the Government of Pakistan to isolate the debt overhang of the power sector to overcome the energy crisis.

The Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, has said that Pakistan Steel will enhance its production from 1.1 million tons to 15 million tons, for which tenders will be called from international market, while six countries have already have shown interest in this regard.