The energy crisis of Pakistan cannot be overcome until two things happen. The first is an end to electricity theft. How can the energy crisis be overcome if 10 to 15 percent of the people do not bother to pay for the electricity they consume? The government will keep adding capacity, but theft will result in losses for power companies. The result will be lack of investment in power generation. And demand will remain ahead of supply.
The second is a change of routine of our people. We must wake up early and go to bed early so that we do most of our work in daylight and consume minimum electricity at night. The problem is that people remain awake till two or three in the morning, watching television or spending time in food outlets. The result is unnecessary consumption of electricity. Then we get up at 11 in the morning or even after noontime and then want to keep shops open till late into the evening, which demands more electricity.
Traders associations and chambers of commerce are opposing the proposal for closure of markets at sunset on the grounds that most of the business takes place in the evening. But that is a poor argument. Fifteen years ago, when cable television was not so common, people used to go to bed by 12 midnight. They got up at 8 or 9 in the morning and went to work. Markets were opened between 9 and 10. They closed at 9 in the evening. And business was good in those days. Traders were making profits, weren’t they?
It is time we changed these two things. We must stop stealing electricity and must report it if see it happening around. We must revert to the routine of rising early in the morning. There is barkat (growth) in business when it is opened early in the morning.
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