Prolonged power outages playing on nerves of Pindiites

Rawalpindi
Apart from bearing acute shortage of gas in the peak winter season, the prolonged power cuts in many localities is playing on nerves of people as they often face water shortage due to electricity outages.
Inhabitants of many localities, particularly Adiala Road, Sher Zaman Colony, Defence Road, Gulistan Colony, Tulsa and Dehri Hassanabad are bearing 8 to 12 hours of power outages against the announced schedule of 4 hours during winter season. Whereas in some instances consumers face power outages for the whole day, which result in acute water shortage.
Even on Wednesday, the residents of Adiala Road, Defence Road, Tulsa Road and several other localities faced power outages for the last of 15 hours and electricity had not returned till filing of this report.
The (Iesco) officials give lame excuses regarding long hours of power outages saying that they were busy in rectifying faults in main feeders. For a week, consumers of Al-Mumtaz Colony, Adiala Road, Sher Zaman Colony, Defence Road, Tulsa, Pirwadhai, Gulistan Colony, Gorakhpur, Tahli Morri, Bakramandi, Mohanpura, Jamia Masjid Road, Mubarak Lane and several other localities have to purchase water tankers at the rate of Rs1000 per tanker even in winter season. The owners of water tankers also give the excuse that they are facing more than 10-hour loadshedding and could not refill their tankers easily, therefore, they have no other option but to sell them on higher rates.
When ‘The News’ contacted Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Adiala Malik Dost Muhammad Mehr, he admitted all facts saying: “We are busy in rectifying main faults. We are cutting tall trees in these areas and are also installing new wires therefore, we have stopped supply of electricity as a precautionary measure.”