LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Dec 19: People of Sultan Khel on Monday blocked the Peshawar-Torkhum highway for two hours to protest against unscheduled load-shedding and shortage of potable water.

The unannounced power outages have negatively affected the Landi Kotal tehsil for a month. The load shedding for long hours and low voltages have resulted in shortage of drinking water, as a number of tube-wells and water-fetching machines remain useless during the load shedding.

Zakakhel, Shinwari and Shalman tribesmen say unnecessary power outages have not only damaged their electric appliances, but also forced them to buy water from tankers for daily use.

The worst-hit are educational institutions, as many computer centres have abandoned their courses halfway, as frequent fluctuation in power supply has damaged computer systems.

In this situation, the agency headquarters hospital in Landi Kotal has postponed many surgeries.

The local political administration is trying to help rectify the problem, but the Landi Kotal grid station officials seem not to cooperate with them.

The Tribal Areas Electricity Supply Company has asked tribesmen not to use high-voltage electric heaters and geysers to avoid putting additional burden on the grid station.

The locals ended the protest after the political administration and grid station officials assured them of solving their problem within a week.