The Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy announced it had implemented scheduled power cuts in parts of agricultural, industrial and residential areas today due to a significant surge in electricity demand as temperatures soared to 49°C.

In an official statement, Ministry spokesperson Engineer Fatima Hayat reported that peak electricity demand reached 16,550 megawatts, necessitating controlled outages to maintain the stability of the national power grid.

Hayat projected that electricity loads would continue rising sharply in coming days due to the heatwave, noting that today's figures represent a significant increase from the same day last year, which recorded 40°C temperatures with peak demand at 13,630 megawatts.

The spokesperson explained that some generation units are currently undergoing routine maintenance in preparation for summer, with maintenance schedules based on historical temperature averages and electricity load patterns.

She confirmed the Ministry is intensifying efforts to gradually recommission power generation units currently under maintenance to meet growing electricity demand.

Hayat urged the public to practice energy conservation, particularly during peak hours from 11 AM to 5 PM, to help maintain grid stability and serve the public interest.