KHUJAND, February 15, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Electricity rationing has been introduced in Khujand, the capital of the northern Sughd province.

Toura Atamov, the director of Barqi Tojik’s office for Sughd province, says that it is still premature to speak about the date of lifting the electricity rationing in the city.

Electricity rationing was introduced in Khujand on February 10 following the city’s rising electricity consumption.  The electricity supply to residential customers has been cut off at night.  Restrictions have not affected ‘strategic sites’ such as hospitals, airport, industrial enterprises, schools and kindergartens.

“Khujand now consumes 2.737 million kWh of electricity per day, which is 537,000 kWh more than the fixed limit,” Atamov said.

We will recall that the Barqi Tojik state electricity company, announced on October 13, 2011 the imposition of a new rationing for electricity supplies throughout the country.  The rationing went into effect in the regions, with the exception of the capital Dushanbe and other large cities of the country.

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.