Prolonged power outages in Rawalpindi leave residents in crisis

Rawalpindi:A severe water crisis has gripped Rawalpindi, while business activities have come to a standstill due to prolonged power outages. For the past five months—since October—Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) has been cutting electricity for six to eight hours daily under the pretext of maintenance work. Typically, this so-called maintenance work is conducted from October to February 1, but this year, the department has shown little regard for public suffering and has continued outages well into late February 2025.

Residents describe the situation as akin to living in the “stone age,” enduring six to eight hours of load shedding even in the winter season. However, no authority has stepped in to hold Iesco accountable for its actions.

When contacted, Iesco Superintendent Engineer (SE) Rawalpindi, Sardar Saleem Khan, told The News that the power outages were due to maintenance work. When asked when this maintenance would conclude, he evaded the question and disconnected the call.

The outages follow a strict schedule, with Iesco cutting power from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in some areas and from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 or even 5:00 p.m. in others. For five consecutive months, residents of both the city and cantonment areas have suffered immensely, with their complaints falling on deaf ears.

The power cuts have also led to the shutdown of all water filtration plants in the affected areas, resulting in severe water shortages. Regular water supply has been disrupted, and even water tankers (bowzers) have stopped operating during outage hours. For five months, residents have been left helpless, while Iesco continues its prolonged load shedding without any accountability.

The affected areas include Committee Chowk, Adiala Road, Munawar Colony, Sadiqabad, Lal Kurti, Defence Road, Kalyal, Gulshanabad, Dhok Juma, Al-Mumtaz Colony, Bakramandi, Arya Mohallah, Sher Zaman Colony, Muslim Town, Shamsabad, Dhok Kala Khan, Liaquat Bagh, Mohanpura, Waris Khan, Misriyal, Chur, Allahabad, Asghar Mall, Bagh Sardaran, Kuri, Morgha, Soan, Chungi No. 22, Tench, People’s Colony, Ahmedabad, Tulsa, Dehri, Tipu Road, Chamanzar, Lalazar, and several other localities.

These outages, particularly during peak working hours, have severely disrupted daily life and brought hardship to residents. The power cuts have not only affected households but also caused immense inconvenience for citizens visiting government offices. Many people who travel from distant areas are forced to return empty-handed because officials cannot process documents due to non-functional computers.

Frustrated citizens have lashed out at Wapda and Iesco, accusing them of using "maintenance work" as an excuse to suspend supply at will. They argue that no visible maintenance is being carried out, yet they continue to suffer under Iesco’s high-handedness. The water crisis has worsened, with residents returning from filtration plants carrying empty cans, as the plants cannot operate without electricity.

In response, citizens have appealed to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Water and Power, the Iesco Chief Executive, and the Chairman of Wapda to take urgent notice of the ongoing power breakdowns and hold those responsible accountable for this mismanagement.

The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has also condemned the prolonged power outages, stating that they are unable to provide water due to the lack of electricity. Officials claim that they are constantly bombarded with complaints but are powerless to resolve the issue without a stable power supply.

Sharjeel Mir, President of the All Pakistan Traders Association (Punjab), has strongly criticized Iesco, stating that despite five months of so-called maintenance work, they have failed to restore a stable power supply. He lamented that the prolonged outages have brought business activities to a complete halt, inflicting financial losses on traders and shopkeepers across the city.

The residents of Rawalpindi continue to struggle as power cuts and water shortages persist, with no relief in sight.