DUSHANBE, December 6, Asia-Plus - Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding is canceling a strict electricity cutback in Dushanbe, Nozir Yodqori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik, said in interview with Asia-Plus.  

According to him, the Norak hydroelectric power station is gradually increasing generation of electricity.  “The point is that annually, during this period water passes through the station’s generators at the rate of 1,200 cubic meter per second,” said Yodgori, “While in late November, in connection with preparations for damming the Vakhsh River the volume of water passing through generators was reduced to 400 cubic meters that resulted in introduction of the strict electricity cutback across the republic.” 

He added that since the work on damming the river has been postponed for an uncertain period, Russia’s Unified Energy Systems (RAO YeES), constructing Sangtuda-1 power plant, consented to increasing the volume of water passing through the Norak station’s generators to 500 cubic meters per second.  “This has allowed us to cancel the electricity rationing introduced in Dushanbe.”  “If the Russian side had consented to increasing the volume of water at least to 550 cubic meters, the electricity rationing would have been canceled in some districts as well,” Yodgori noted.  

He stressed that that electricity supplies disruption that will hit Dushanbe beginning from tomorrow will not be linked to works on damming the Vakhsh River.  “These disruptions may happen because of bad weather or technical reasons,” Yodgori said.  

As far as the date of damming the Vakhsh River is concerned, the spokesman did not rule out that preparatory works, including concreting works in the drainage tunnels, may last at least for a month.   

In the meantime, Aleksandr Ryabkin, head of the construction administration Sangtuda GES-1, today said in interview with Asia-Plus that the Russian side has been ready for work on damming the river and they want to carry out this work in December.  He confirmed that they had consented to increasing the volume of water passing through the Norak generators to 500 cubic meters.  Asked whether they coordinated the date of damming the Vakhsh River with the Tajik side, Ryabkin refrained from giving a concrete answer.