The summer is not over yet, but one can hear more and more about the upcoming energy crisis and all its consequences in Tajikistan. The memory about the last severely cold winter is still fresh in the minds of people. They expect one more winter which is going to be according to weather forecasters not less cold.

The main provider of electricity in the country, Barki Tojik (Electricity of Tajikistan) is striving to introduce the schedule of regular electricity cut-offs in August, whereas this schedule is usually introduced in October each year and lasts till April. This year the schedule was abandoned only in May. The early introduction of electricity cut-offs according to Barki Tojik is necessary due to lack of water in the water reservoir of the biggest hydropower station Norak, which generates more that 80 per cent of electricity in Tajikistan. The more electricity we save the more water we will have in the resevoir to be used during the winter.

According to deputy head [rus] of Barki Tojik Uguloi Khojaeva, the lack of water this year is observed not only in Tajikistan but in the whole Central Asia region. “The amount of water [in rivers] depends on weather. Currently the temperature in valleys reaches 45 degrees (Celsius) and in mountains about 25 degree, but there is no snow to be melted, and in this situation we count only on glaciers”, said Khojaeva.

“There is going to be introduced a limit and no one can say what should we expect from the coming winter. The energy sector is unpredictable in terms of problematic situations”.

These are alarming words. The top management of Barki Tojik is trying to convince people that if something goes wrong with energy security then it is not responsible for that - no one else will guilty but the weather.