DUSHANBE, March 20, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- During the days of celebration of the Navrouz holiday, electricity rationing introduced in the regions will not be ended.

Nozirjon Yodqori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Tajikistan), told Asia-Plus on March 20 that a recent sharp fall in temperatures has led to decrease in the water flow rate in the Vakhsh River on which the main hydropower plants of the country are located.  “Water levels at the Norak reservoir have fallen to 861.05 meters because mountain snow has not yet melted,” he said.

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

Meanwhile, electricity rationing was introduced in Khujand, the capital of the northern Sughd province 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.  On March 12, rotational power cutoffs were introduced in the city.  The city was 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.

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.