In 1960, the government gave serious thoughts to the problem of rural electrification. Before that, only about 600 villages, out of a total of 45000, had electricity and none in Balochistan and Sindh. By 1999-2000, about 70000 villages had electricity, which meant that about 55 percent of all villages were electrified.
The installation of electricity operated tube wells for irrigation and the control of waterlogging and salinity have greatly helped rural development.
Successive efforts for rural development village Aid, Basic Democracy, the Rural Works Program, the integrated Rural Development Program, have encouraged the extension of facilities, including electricity, to rural areas. The heavy cost of laying down and maintaining transmission line to distant villages with small populations is the main impediment in rural electrification. To overcome this, villages within 1 kilometer of the distribution line and with a population of 1000 in Punjab and Sindh, and 300 to 500 in Balochistan and the NWFP, are selected for electrification. Many villages which do not meet these requirements have to do without electricity. More and more these tiny rural settlements are coming into existence.
The Sectoral Consumption of Electricity
The electricity generated in Pakistan has increased from 7600 Gwh in 1971 to 62100 Gwh in 1997-8, it is still not sufficient because there has also been a corresponding increase in consumption.
At present, domestic, industrial, agricultural, street lighting and commercial users are the main consumers of electricity in descending order of importance. Because of the increase in housing in urban areas, the use of electric gadgets and rural electrification, domestic users are on the rise. Agriculture has also registered a substantial increase, primarily because of electric tube wells.
The installation of electricity operated tube wells for irrigation and the control of waterlogging and salinity have greatly helped rural development.
Successive efforts for rural development village Aid, Basic Democracy, the Rural Works Program, the integrated Rural Development Program, have encouraged the extension of facilities, including electricity, to rural areas. The heavy cost of laying down and maintaining transmission line to distant villages with small populations is the main impediment in rural electrification. To overcome this, villages within 1 kilometer of the distribution line and with a population of 1000 in Punjab and Sindh, and 300 to 500 in Balochistan and the NWFP, are selected for electrification. Many villages which do not meet these requirements have to do without electricity. More and more these tiny rural settlements are coming into existence.
The Sectoral Consumption of Electricity
The electricity generated in Pakistan has increased from 7600 Gwh in 1971 to 62100 Gwh in 1997-8, it is still not sufficient because there has also been a corresponding increase in consumption.
At present, domestic, industrial, agricultural, street lighting and commercial users are the main consumers of electricity in descending order of importance. Because of the increase in housing in urban areas, the use of electric gadgets and rural electrification, domestic users are on the rise. Agriculture has also registered a substantial increase, primarily because of electric tube wells.
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