20 January 2005	Thursday	09 Zilhaj 1425

LAHORE, Jan 19: Citizens of Lahore faced ordeal yet again on Wednesday when electricity was shut down in most parts of the city for better part of the day, worsening the crisis already created by low pressure of gas.

The worst-hit areas included those along the canal, the Bund Road and the Walled City where power kept playing hide and seek for hours. The Lahore Electric Supply Company recorded routine tripping, though the city dwellers claimed hours of breakdowns and shutdowns. The company officials, however, were apt to blame kite flyers for the situation.

"As weather is changing, Lahorites have started coming out to enjoy kite flying," according to an official, who also conceded that the ageing distribution system was another cause of consistent power tripping.

The Lesco data shows increase in tripping on Sundays when kite flying picks up. It hurts the system in more than one way - causes financial loss by stopping sale of power and softens up gadgets that are more likely to collapse.

But dwellers of the affected areas contested the claims, saying: "It is simply a matter of weak distribution system run by incompetent people," said a resident of the Tech Society.

The company could come up with a hundred lame excuses for consistent power failures. It could easily knock out people technically, but the fact was that the consumers were not getting power for which they were paying, he said. He said the Lesco officials, the cdg and authorities at the provincial and federal level seemed to be helpless when it came to utility problems.