DUSHANBE, February 27, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- By government’s order electricity rationing has been eased in Tajikistan’s provinces.

Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s major electricity provider), says that electricity rationing was eased in the country’s provinces on February 25.  “Residential customers in the provinces now have electricity twelve hours per day,” said the spokesman.  “They now receive electricity six hours in the morning (from 5:00 am to 11:00 am) and six hours in the evening (from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm).”

Electricity rationing has reportedly been eased due to favorable weather conditions and increase in electricity generation.

“In December-January, residential customers in the provinces had electricity only 6-7 hours per day.  On February 11, the daily electricity supply was increased to 9 hours,” Yodgori noted.

Current water level in the reservoir powering the Norak hydroelectric power plant (HPP) is four meters higher than in the same period last year.

Current water inflow into the Norak HPP reservoir is 159 cubic meters per second.

Current daily generation of electricity in Tajikistan is 46 million kWh, 8 million kWh more than in the same period last year.

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.