Prolonged power outages perturb twin cities dwellers

Rawalpindi

People living along Islamabad Highway and GT Road have threatened to block the main roads of the twin cities against prolonged power outages amid hot weather.

Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) without any fear is violating loadshedding schedule. Government has given 6 hours loadshedding schedule for the city and 8 hours for the rural areas but Iesco is observing 8 to 10 hours loadshedding in the city and 12 hours in the rural areas whereas in some areas, people are facing darkness whole night for some days.

Iesco spokesman Raja Asim Nazir told ‘The News’ that no doubt government has given loadhsedding schedule of 6 hours for city and 8 hours for rural areas. “But, transformers are continuously developing fault in some of areas because of overload therefore people in these areas are facing long hours of loadshedding. Secondly, we are busy in maintenance work in some localities therefore consumers are facing power outages for long hours,” he added. He also pointed out that some of areas of Rawalpindi including Chandni Chowk, Committee Chowk and Sadiqabad consumers faced long hours of loadshedding due to faulty transformers and maintenance work.

The consumers of Tariqabad, Adiala Road, Lalkurti, Munawar Colony, Bakramandi, Gulistan Colony, Defence Road Gulrez, Morgah, Committee Chowk, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Chandni Chowk, Jhanda Chichi, Chaklala Scheme-III, Rawat, PAEC Society, Kallar, Chak Beli Khan, Shah Allah Ditta, and Gujar Khan have threatened to block GT Road and Islamabad Highway against prolonged power outages. The residents of Gujar Khan had blocked GT Road on Monday night and raised slogans against concerned authority.

A large number of consumers visited the office of Iesco Superintendent Engineer (SE), Rawalpindi, to lodge their protest as they had been spending sleepless nights for a couple of days due to frequent power breakdowns.

The Superintendent Engineer (SE), Rawalpindi, however, tried to cool down the people and assured them of resolving all grievances on priority basis. But, all of his promises proved nothing.

Muhammad Basharat, Raja Adil, Zulfiqar Ali, Irshad Ahmed, Muhammad Shakil while protesting against long hours of power breakdowns said that Iesco officials are openly defying the orders of State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, who ordered for observing six hours loadshedding. But we are facing long hours of loadshedding as usual, they claimed.

The consumers also complained against misbehaviour of concerned Iesco officials when they visit their offices. They said that they would come on roads to block GT Road and Islamabad Highway against long hours of loadshedding in the name of maintenance work