The ongoing power rationing in Tanzania may soon prolong and extend to affect more regions in the east African country, where the water levels at major reservoirs have kept falling due to lack of rainfalls.

The Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) is therefore obliged to extend its power-rationing schedule to last longer and to cover more regions, according to a press statement issued by the company, the country's sole power supplier.

But the statement did not clarify how many more hours will be included in the power rationing racket or which other regions will be affected.

The ongoing power rationing, officially started on Feb. 2, lasts eight and a half hours each day rotationally in 15 of the country's 26 administrative regions.

Some technical staff of the company estimated that power rationing could be prolonged to 15 hours a day.

TANESCO said in its statement that the move to prolong and extend power rationing was necessitated by the need to keep its hydropower plant at the Mtera dam running for more days or risk shutting it down once the water at the dam goes down its minimal level.

According to the latest available figure, the water level at the Mtera Dam was measured at 687.4 meters above sea level, just 40 centimeters remaining before the hydropower plant has to be shut down completely.

Source: Xinhua