Measures agreed to reduce loadshedding in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The district administration, power utility and lawmakers from the provincial capital have agreed to put an end to unannounced loadshedding, reduce the duration of scheduled outages and take coordinated action against power theft and defaulters to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.

The decisions were taken at a joint meeting chaired by Commissioner Peshawar Division Riaz Khan Mahsud and attended by Pesco chief Akhtar Hameed, deputy commissioner Sarmad Salim Akram, police officials, and elected representatives from the provincial and national assemblies. Pesco officials briefed the participants on feeder-wise outages, attributing most of the load shedding to electricity theft and outstanding dues.

To address the issue, it was agreed that the installation of electricity meters in the suburban localities of Mattani and Badaber would begin under the supervision of assistant commissioners and respective MPAs. The Pesco chief announced the immediate provision of 10,000 meters for the task. It was also decided that vacant posts in Wapda would be filled with priority to improve service delivery.

All maintenance permits issued until September were cancelled to prevent disruptions in electricity supply. Commissioner Riaz Mahsud directed executive engineers (XENs) to remain in constant contact with area MNAs and MPAs, share personal contact numbers, and hold regular meetings to resolve local issues. Legislators assured full cooperation with WAPDA following agreement on scheduled load shedding.