Qila Muhammadi hit by voltage fluctuation, outages

LAHORE:The aging and messy power distribution network of Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) means frequent power outages, voltage fluctuation and brownouts in Qila Muhammadi.

The insensitive local staff and unresponsive helpline of the power utility virtually compounded miseries of the helpless consumers, leaving them high and dry. It seems that the staff as well as employees of the helpline are free of any fear of reprimand in the absence of a solid monitoring mechanism. If a complaint is lodged with the utility, there is no systematic way of resolving the issue in a time-bound manner. Qila Muhammadi, also known as Qila Lachhman Singh, is situated in the shadow of historic Minar-e-Pakistan along the Ravi Park. People of the area face the worst voltage fluctuation and unannounced loadshedding. They lamented that they had been facing fluctuations and unannounced power cuts daily. They regretted that Lesco officials only repaired the fault temporarily and the problem returned after a few hours or the next day.

The recent monsoon has been especially hard for the people of Qila Muhammadi, a sub-division of Data Darbar division and Iqbal Park feeder. Loadshedding instantly starts with the first drop of rain or a slightest hint of wind. The power supply remains suspended for hours even after rain stops. When the power supply is restored, voltage starts to fluctuate. Resultantly, electronics in many households have been damaged due to spike in voltage, they alleged. “We have to contact the office almost daily to register complaints because officials concerned fix the fault temporarily,” locals said and appealed to high-ups of the department to take notice of the situation and resolve the issue on a permanent basis. A senior official of LESCO did not respond to calls despite repeated attempts.