Electricity rationing has been introduced in rural areas of Tajikistan.

Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for Barqi Tojik (Tajik electric systems) power holding, today morning announced new measures rationing electricity supplies in the country.

According to him, the introduced measures seek to curb the country’s rising electricity consumption.

“Today, weather conditions do not allow providing the country with enough electricity,” said Yodgori.  “For the purpose of using electricity sparingly we have introduced electricity rationing in rural areas.”

In regions, which have other sources of energy, electricity will be supplied according to schedule, the spokesman noted.

Today, daily power generation in Tajikistan reportedly amounts to 35-38 million kWh and Barqi Tojik will distribute electricity to the regions taking into consideration the population and industrial facilities operating there.

“In the regions, electricity will be supplied not during certain hours but in a certain volume, and if it is used sparingly this volume will be enough for a long time,” Yodgori said.    

Electricity rationing has not affected Dushanbe, regional administrative centers and large cities.

The power rationing has also not affected 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.