Washington, Oct. 21 (ANI): Taking notice of the energy crisis in Pakistan, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has instructed government officials not to wear formal suits, but come to their offices in the commonly used national attire - the salwar-kameez in summers when air-conditioners are used to the maximum.
Likewise, in winter, civil servants are encouraged to wear warm woolly sweaters to negate the need for natural-gas-guzzling heaters, reports The Washington Post.
Ashraf, who served as the top federal energy official before taking up the Prime Minister's post, was widely blamed for not handling the growing power crisis that inflicts misery on the public and has devastated some vital sectors, including mining and textile manufacturing.
According to Syed Tanzim Hussain Naqvi, a retired official of the Water and Power Development Authority, the primary reason for the increase in electricity load from 70 to 80 percent in recent years is the use of air conditioners during the four to five summer months of the year.
"We have not been generating electricity in the last eight or nine years. The load is increasing, but the generation capacity is standing still," he said.
For a real solution to the problem, the government must impose a three-step plan of upgrading the existing power stations in the country, expanding coal production and building two or three dams to take advantage of hydroelectric sources of power, Naqvi said.
"These are just notional gimmicks that have little impact on the ground," said veteran energy reporter Khaleeq Kiani of a Pakistani English-language daily.
Kiani recalled previous failed attempts to implement seemingly simple changes to cut back on energy - including a decision by all the provincial and federal governments to close businesses after sunset. Those plans remain unimplemented.
Other energy-saving initiatives include cutting the six-day workweek down to an energy-friendly five and imposing a strict 10 p.m. curfew on wedding halls, where flashy light displays are in vogue. (ANI)
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