People take to streets as power crisis intensifies in Punjab

LAHORE: Citizens from several cities of Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, and Gujranwala, took to the streets on Friday to protest the prolonged, announced electricity load-shedding in their respective areas, Geo News reported.

Per the report, hordes of people, affected by the power crisis, flocked to the streets, set tires on fire, and blocked roadways.

The protests were staged at Nawabpur Road in Multan and Gondlanwala Chowk in Gujranwala where protestors chanted slogans against the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) and the government, saying that 16 hours of power outage has made their lives miserable.

Meanwhile, in the provincial capital of Lahore, intermittent load-shedding has been going on for the last 24 hours, agitating the citizens as they have to bear the sweltering heat.

According to the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) officials, unscheduled load-shedding is occurring within LESCO's boundaries due to electricity production shortfall, while issues related to frequent feeder trips are also being experienced due to the increased pressure on grid stations.

Citizens say that load-shedding lasts for six to eight hours in most Punjab cities, including Lodhran, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar, whereas it lasts for 10 to 12 hours in rural areas.

Officials from the ministry of power, on the other hand, stated that a lack of water in Tarbela Dam, as well as a lack of gas and oil in power plants, had affected power generation, but added that the situation would improve in two to three days.