VEHARI, July 18: Residents of Machiwal area have strongly protested against the Mepco's Vehari circle for its failure to restore the power supply.

When this correspondent visited the affected area on Sunday, he found the people in great misery for the last four days. They disclaimed the Wapda version that the power supply had been restored to all the affected areas.

With over 100,000 population, around 90 per cent people of Machiwal are associated with agriculture. Five union councils and some three dozen villages of Machiwal are badly affected.

Talking to Dawn, former councillor and progressive grower of Chak 192/WB Sardar Muhammad said that various crops, including cotton, rice and sugarcane, were badly affected due to non-availability of water from tubewells.

He said that no Mepco official had visited the affected areas of Machiwal. He said that when some area people contacted the Mepco officials they falsely claimed that the power supply had been restored from the grid station.

The names of some Machiwal villages where the power supply has still not been restored are: Chaks 7/WB, 5/WB, 3/WB, 8/WB Pakhi Morr, 14/WB, 16/WB, 10/WB, 12/WB, 14/WB, 180/WB, 182/WB, 184/WB, 186/WB, 188/WB, 190/WB, 192/WB, 194/WB and 200/W.B.

When contacted, grid station SDO Muhammad Azher said the power supply from 14 feeders of Vehari tehsil, including the Machiwal feeder, had been restored. A group of area people said that over 2,000 meter cable wire and conductors had been stolen from the main electric poles a few days back.

But the Mepco officials had not so far taken any step to install the new wire and conductors. The area people have urged the high-ups of Wapda authorities to get restored the power supply to affected areas of Machiwal immediately.