KHUJAND, March 12, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Rotational power cutoffs have been introduced in the city of Khujand, the capital of Sughd province.

Toura Atamov, the director of Barqi Tojik’s office for Sughd province, says the rotational power cutoffs were introduced on March 12.  “It is a temporary measure resulting from sudden fall of temperatures and decrease in the water flow rate in the Vakhsh River,” said Atamov.  “The city is divided into several sectors and electricity supply to them is cut off alternately for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.”

As it had been reported earlier, electricity rationing was introduced in Khujand on February 10 following the city’s rising electricity consumption.  Restrictions have not affected ‘strategic sites’ such as hospitals, airport, industrial enterprises, schools and kindergartens.

We will recall that the Barqi Tojik state electricity company, announced on October 13, 2011 the imposition of a new rationing for electricity supplies throughout the country.  The rationing went into effect in the regions, with the exception of the capital Dushanbe and other large cities of the country.

Measures rationing electricity supplies are usually introduced in all regions except Dushanbe and seek to curb the country''s rising electricity consumption. The rationing is introduced in October or November and lasts through March or April next year.  The rationing results in the supply of daily electrical power being reduced to 12 or 10 hours.  In addition to curbing rising consumption, the move also stems from a decline in the water level in the country''s reservoirs powering the main hydroelectric power plants.