Year: 2021

Was it a Crisis Communications Blackout Too?

Admin

This was the first post I read at 12:00 midnight PST on January 9, 2021 and within five minutes, by just looking at (without reading) the number of comments, I knew this was a major power breakdown. As a student of crisis communications, there onwards I started noting the different pieces of information doing rounds on social media. They included speculation by the mainstream media about the causes of the breakdown, from “sources” talking about terrorist attacks, including misleading images of posts dating from 2015 as well as an attack…

Read More

Ogra proposes up to Rs11 hike in POL rates

Admin

ISLAMABAD: The prices of key petroleum products — petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) — are estimated to go up by Rs9-11 per litre on Jan 31 for the first fortnight of February if straight calculations of Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) are accepted by the prime minister. However, based purely on international prices published in Platt’s Oilgram, the prices of petrol and HSD would need an increase of Rs2.30 and Rs2.11 per litre, respectively. A Petroleum Division official said that based on import shipments as of Jan 27, the…

Read More

Coal demand expected to spike in 2021

Admin

KARACHI: Coal demand is expected to remain upbeat in 2021 as more coal-fired and captive power plants are coming up in the current year. According to sources, the import of coal at three coal-based power plants – China Hubco, Sahiwal and Port Qasim Electric — is around 10-12 million tonnes per annum. According to Nepra, the contribution of coal to the country’s energy mix was a staggering 21 per cent in CY20. The cement sector is also expanding its capacity to cope with the rising demand under Prime Minister’s Naya…

Read More

OGRA approves 5.4% tariff hike

Admin

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has allowed a 5.4% increase in the price of gas for consumers of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). The regulator allowed the hike in the prescribed price of gas while determining the estimated revenue requirement (ERR) of SSGC for financial year 2020-21. The oil and gas regulator allowed the price increase in order to recover shortfall of Rs14,270 million in the ERR for financial year 2020-21, including prior year shortfall of Rs50,983 million. The new prescribed price has been determined at Rs778.59 per…

Read More

Karachi ranks as second most polluted city in the world today

Admin

KARACHI: Pakistan Meteorological Department said the city’s weather is likely to remain dry and cold during the next 24 hours on Thursday. According to the Air Quality Index, Karachi has been ranked second among the most polluted cities in the world today. The minimum temperature recorded in the provincial capital city today was 9.2°C. However, due to the haze, the visibility near the airport was recorded at 3 kilometres. Read more: Karachi ranks seventh among most polluted cities of the world today As per details from the weather department, the…

Read More