KULOB/DUSHANBE, October 16, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The source at the control service of the Kulob electric systems (local electricity distributor) says that electricity rationing has been introduced in rural areas of the Kulob zone.

According to him, the rationing resulted in the supply of daily electrical power to residential customers being reduced by six hours (electricity supplies are cut off to residential customers from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.).  The city of Kulob and strategic sites are not affected, the source said.

He added that they had received an order on cutting off electricity supplies to rural areas in nighttime from Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding.

In the meantime, Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik, told Asia-Plus today that night electricity supplies cutoffs in some rural areas are aimed at power saving.

According to him, power holding last week just applied to local authorities with solicitation to consider the possibility of cutting off electricity supplies to residential customers in some rural areas in nighttime.  He added that Barqi Tojik had also applied to the city authorities asking to reduce street lighting in nighttime by 50 percent.

Electricity rationing is introduced in all regions of Tajikistan except the capital Dushanbe and seeks to curb the country’s rising electricity consumption.  In addition to curbing rising consumption, the measure also stems from a decline in the water levels in the reservoirs powering the main HPPs.  The rationing is usually introduced in October and lasts through April of the next year.

Last year, electricity rationing was introduced in Tajikistan on September 1 resulting in the supply of daily electricity being reduced to four-six hours.