DUSHANBE, March 31, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Tajik authorities have reportedly eased electricity rationing for rural areas on March 31, increasing the daily supply of electricity by one hour.

An official source at Barqi Tojik (Tajikistan’s state-controlled power supplier) says they increased the daily supply of electricity from four to five-six hours on March 31.

We will recall that cold weather has been blamed for severe electricity rationing in Tajikistan.  An official source at Barqi Tojik told Asia-Plus March 27 that heavy snowfalls on March 21-22 led to a decrease in the water level of rivers feeding into the Norak hydropower station, causing a reduction in energy output.

Because of the situation, Barqi Tojik had to introduce harsh electricity rationing.  From March 22 to March 30, residents of rural areas had electricity only four  hours per day – two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.

Meanwhile, residential customers in Hisor, Shahrinav, Varzob and Istaravshan districts did not have electricity at all on March 26.

We will recall that electricity rationing was introduced in rural areas of Tajikistan on October 26 and it resulted in the supply of daily electrical power in rural areas being reduced to eighteen hours – from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Electricity rationing has not affected Dushanbe as well as the cities of Khujand, Qurghon Teppa, Kulob, Tursunzoda, and Chkalovsk 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.

In November, Tajik authorities reportedly toughened electricity rationing for rural areas.

From November 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014, they had electricity only nine hours per day – four hours in the morning (from 5:00 am to 9:00 am) and five hours in the evening (from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm).

The power rationing was reportedly toughened in order to provide stable water inflow into the reservoir powering the Norak hydroelectric power plant (HPP).

On March 1, electricity rationing was eased and the supply of electricity was increased in daylight.

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.