DUSHANBE, January 18, Asia-Plus -- Despite president’s instruction to increase the supply of daily electrical power in Dushanbe by 1 million kWh, electricity rationing introduced in some areas of the Tajik will remain in effect, Rashid Gulov, deputy engineer-in-chief, Tajik state energy company Barqi Tojik, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  

“Taking into account a I million kWh increase, the Tajik capital now consumes 10.8 million kWh of electricity per day,” said Gulov, “However, this amount is not enough to meet the city’s requirements in electricity.”   

 In the meantime, speaking in an interview with Tajik national TV, Energy and Industries Minister Gul Sherali noted that Dushanbe now receives electricity supplies at the rate of 10 million kWh per day.  “This mount is not enough to lift electricity rationing,” the minister said, noting that to save electricity they had even cut off street lighting.

Specialists from Barqi Tojik attribute power shortages to decline in the water level in the reservoir power the Norak hydroelectric power station, which accounts for some 80 percent of a total amount of electricity generated in the country.  

Another reason of no small importance for electricity shortages is rising electricity consumption.  Residents have to use electric radiators to heat their apartments due to lack of central heating.