It seems that our troubles are only beginning and we can only stand as silent spectators while we trudge back into the Dark Ages. The electricity crisis had not been totally solved while the ugly head of an even worse gas crisis is rearing its head. Its a hydra and our government doesnt realise that its ad-hoc measures will only multiply its lethality rather than stopping it properly.
The fact that the governments proposed solution to the electricity crisis (i.e. the RPPs) are a root cause of the worsening gas crisis shows that the government doesnt get the holistic picture and the simple concept of cause-and-effect is hard to grasp for it.
Hagler Bailly, a firm based in Islamabad predicted this impending gas crisis back in 2006. It stated that demand fro natural gas would increase by 10 percent each year leading to a shortfall of almost 11,000 million cubic feet per day by 2025 if the issue is not addressed.
We can see that not only industrial load-shedding of gas is taking place but now domestic users have to face this problem too. Hence, this problem will not just affect Pakistans industrial growth but also disaffect an already disenchanted populace. The government must look to long-term solution rather than expedient measures that will fetch it votes.
The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline is a right step in this direction but we need to realise that Pakistan needs to invest in alternate energy development and reduce its dependence on these non-renewable energy sources that are not only crippling Pakistans economy but creating a colossal invisible future cost by destroying our environment.
The electricity crisis has been mismanaged largely because the government has tried to look for quick fixes. The government needs to realise that we dont have a gas crisis or an electricity crisis but rather an energy crisis which needs to be dealt with keeping the big picture in mind.
Can we indeed expect our government to deal with both these crises in a holistic manner? Sadly, no but faith is what makes the world go round and hope is all we have. Meanwhile, we can do our part by conserving electricity and investing in things like solar energy, at least for domestic use.
ALIYA HAIDER
Lahore
