Mepco fails to address low voltage complaints

MULTAN: The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) consumers Monday faced nuisance when their electric appliances broke down due to unabated tripping and low voltage at Wapda Town sub-division.

The Mepco complaint centre at Wapda Town sub-division did not allegedly attend a single call of the complainants. Mepco failed to ensure normal voltage, said a consumer Abdul Saboor.

Consumers have complained that unannounced and prolonged low voltages continue to mar normal life at Wapda Town sub-division, making it difficult for the people to smoothly carry out their routine affairs.

"The compressor of my fridge and water pump motor was burnt when suddenly the voltage went extremely low in the morning. The Mepco authorities refused to give any compensation for his Rs16,000 loss," complained a consumer M Saeed of Shalimar West Colony.

Residents of New Shalimar, Lasorriwala have also protested against the Mepco. They complained that they were experiencing critically low voltage due to no proper maintenance of transformers by the Mepco authorities. No Mepco official told them the reason for this sudden low and high voltage, they said.

A consumer Aoun Abbas Syed said that electricity bills had the contact numbers of regional sub-divisional officers (SDOs) and executive engineers (XENs) but they do not bother to attend the calls of the complainants.

Mepco officials said that the low quality of wiring in the area was the common cause of voltage problems. Age and corrosion of wires are also the contributing factors behind the low voltage plus the poor insulation. Poor or damaged splicing work can also be a cause. In some cases, the wires used to carry electricity have a lower gauge than the required capacity.

When contacted Musa Pak XEN, Malik Ishfaq Awan said the sub-division had done maintenance work at the feeders’ bifurcation instead of the transformers. The XEN lacked any knowledge regarding the complaints of low voltage. He said the sub-division had not received any complaint in this regard. When he was asked about the loss of consumers’ valuable electric appliances, he said that he would check the matter. The Mepco spends millions of rupees for the upgradation and bifurcation of feeders but the problems of low voltage were continuing. The consumers have demanded the government to take action against the Mepco officials responsible for low voltage. They demanded the federal government for compensation of their burnt electric appliances and immediate removal of complaints of low voltage and tripping.