Massive power outages continue across country

Shortfall 4,000MW despite closure of businesses on weekly holiday

LAHORE: Power outages continued across the country on Sunday, and despite closure of businesses due to the weekly holiday, electricity shortfall was registered at more than 4,000 megawatts, according to reports received here from different parts of the country.

Unannounced loadshedding in Lahore as well as other cities and towns of the province affected the routine life badly. Increasing temperatures and mosquitoes made people’s lives miserable in cities and rural areas.

In some parts of Lahore, according to people, power remained suspended for 10 hours. In McLeod Road and Badami Bagh areas of the city, electricity remained suspended for over six hours at a stretch for repair of grid stations’ power cables.

In Lesco region, demand was 2,800MW, the supply stood at 2,200MW, showing a shortfall of 600 megawatts.Members of Sunni Tehreek staged a protest in the Raja Chowk area of Hafizabad against long loadshedding hours and increase in prices of petroleum products.

Newspaper and private television channels received phone calls from people in Baddo Malhi, Garh Maharaja, Noor Kot, Jhelum, Nankana Sahib, Malikwal, etc.A Geo News report said Karachiites also experienced long outages due to a major breakdown.