KULOB, January 9, 2009, Asia-Plus -- Electricity rationing introduced in the city of Kulob on January 9 resulted in the supply of daily electricity to residential customers being reduced to four hours: two hours electricity in the morning (from 6:00 am to 8:00 am) and two hours in the evening (from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm).

Commenting on the situation, Ahmad Kishvarzov (phonetically spelled), engineer-in-chief at the Kulob city electric systems, said the move stemmed from a decrease in the volume of electricity supplies from the hydroelectric power plant (HPP) Sangtuda-1.

“Before January 9, Kulob had received electricity supplies from the Sangtuda-1 station at the rate of 60,000 kWh per day, while at present the city receives 33,000 kWh of electrical power from Sangtuda-1 per day,” the engineer-in-chief said.

According to him, the Sangtuda-1 HPP currently generates 300,000 kWh of electricity; major part of it is supplied via substations Lolazor and Regar to the Tajik aluminum smelter in Turusnzoda as well as via the substation Guzar to the districts subordinate to the center.