DUSHANBE, October 19, 2015, Asia-Plus -- Electricity rationing has been introduced in rural areas of Tajikistan.

Nozir Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (the state-owned utility responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Tajikistan), says the rationing, which went into effect on October 18, resulted in the supply of daily electrical power in rural areas being reduced to ten hours – five hours in the morning (from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm) and five hours in the evening (from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm).

Electricity rationing has not affected Dushanbe as well as the cities of the country, as well as the majority of districts of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).

In GBAO, Tajikistan’s only private power company, Pamir Energy Company (Pamir Energy), operates.  This company is responsible for electricity deliveries in the region and the majority of districts in Gorno Badakhshan now have regular power supply.

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.