Energy crunch Pakistan has urged its people to change their lifestyle in view of the available resources. It simply asked its people to “cut your coat according to your cloth.”

“We have to change our lifestyle,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday. He briefed the media on the decisions and recommendations put forward before the cabinet led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He was accompanied by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Adviser on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Power Secretary Rashid Langrial.

He shared the energy conservation plan. This will be finalised after coordination with the provinces in the next two days, leading to a conclusive meeting on Thursday, as the country deals with energy shortage and its increased demand in winter.

What will happen under this plan?

• Markets, hotels, and restaurants to close at 8pm
• Wedding halls will be closed at 10pm
• Campaign being run to use conical baffles in geysers under which the gas companies would provide it
• Alternate street lights should be kept on
• Electric bikes will be launched to “phase out” those run on fuel. Its import has been started and negotiations were under way with companies. Moreover, suggestion was also being discussed to modify the existing bikes

The under-consideration policy was meant to change the nation’s “lifestyle”, “routine”, and “living” under limited resources.

Last time, Pakistan took similar decisions were after the outbreak of Covid-19 and high energy prices when the country tried to stem the virus and cut its expenses.

Pakistan’s estimates to save expenses

Asif shared the estimates that were shared during the meeting in which around members from 10 ministries were present.

• Pakistan can save Rs56 billion annually if 20% of the workforce in government institutions work from home on a rotation basis. (The estimate is kept 15% to 20% low)
• Early closure of markets, hotels, and restaurants could save Pakistan Rs62 billion
• The use of new fans consume 40 to 60 watts of units of electricity—as compared to old fans that consume 120 to 130 watts of units—can save up to Rs15 billion
• Use of LED bulbs instead of old bulbs (having an incandescent element), saved up to Rs23 billion
• The use of such appliances and ideal capacity payments save around 8,000MW to 9,000MW on an average
• It can save up to Rs28 billion monthly with the use of ideal capacity payments
• Conical baffles can save Rs52 billion
• Keeping alternate street lights on can save up to Rs4 billion
• Electric bikes can save up to Rs86 billion

Pakistan is also among those countries where power plants are run on fuel, making it the most expensive item on its annual import bill of around $28 billion. However, the country was planning to produce more electricity via renewable energy after experiencing a shortfall after the trade opened as the Covid-induced restrictions eased around the world, resulting in increased demand.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will run a campaign to aware people of the energy conservation plan.

Water conservation

Asif, who started the presser by defending Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s statement against Indian PM Narendra Modi, said that 69% of the country’s water was consumed in agriculture. Much of this is done through flood irrigation.

He explained that around 80% to 90% there was no need for water in flood irrigation. “It also helps all the nutrients on the land surface to go beneath,” he said, adding that drip irrigation and other methods could not help nutrients reach the depth.

The federal cabinet has also planned to start water harvesting by promoting housing construction in which water meets subsurface water and it was not wasted. For example, the rainwater is disposed of in sewers and other streams, however, with such construction, the rainwater would reach from where water is extracted.

He reiterated that it was a provincial subject for which their consultations would be sought.

What will happen in the next two days?

• Provinces will be contacted and informed about the contours of this policy
• They will be taken onboard
• All four provinces will be contacted

Asif stressed that markets across the world were closed by 6pm or 7pm, saying that Pakistan was the “only country in the world” where markets remained open till 12:30am or 2am. He claimed that 50% of the daylight was not used in the country—a concern he had shown in July when the petrol prices soared.

He encouraged the use of appliances consuming less electricity, stressing the need for changing behavioural patterns to meet the ongoing crisis.

“The country is going through a severe energy crisis and we should normalise our habits. We are not asking you to tighten your belts. You just change your habits which our parents have taught us,” Asif said, adding that it was needed to adjust to the country’s means.

Provinces’ participation was crucial to implementing this policy, Asif said as the government would convince them to follow it in view of the national emergency.

“It will become part of our national ethos. It is a solution to our economic issues.”

Qaira said that they were aware of the response to 8pm closure time for markets, however, he said that it would only help Pakistan to come to par with the developed countries. The PM’s adviser hoped industrialists would follow the government’s suggestions.

“We have no choice. Doors of choice have been closed to us,” Asif said.

“Our bureaucracy, judges, and armed forces are also a part of leadership. They are elite. Until the elite changes its behaviour, the people will not have a temptation to change their behaviour. It should be led by the elite to set an example.”