QUETTA, March 28: Power supply to 37 grid stations of Balochistan was suspended after four pylons of high-tension transmission lines were blown up in the Bolan district’s Aab-i-Gum area on Tuesday night.

The province faces shortage of 330mw electricity after the suspension of power supply to the grid stations.

The damaged pylons could not be repaired because staff of the Quetta Electric Supply Company refused to start work before the area was declared safe and they were provided with security, sources said.

The damage was caused by high explosives placed around three pylons of 220kv double- circuit Quetta transmission line and one pylon of 120kv transmission line.

“One pylon of 220kv line was completely destroyed and two were partially damaged,” said a spokesman for Qesco on Wednesday, adding that the pylon of 120kv transmission line was also damaged.

Sources said Balochistan was not getting supply from the 220kv transmission line from the Guddu Thermal Power Plant and, as a result, 37 grid stations were not getting any electricity. The power supply from the 120kv transmission line was restored through alternative arrangements, they said.

Almost half of Balochistan has been without any power for 24 hours.

The affected districts include Mastung, Kalat, Nushki, Chagai, Kharan, Bolan, Awaran, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Zhob, Ziarat and Khuzdar.

Qesco sources said the company suffered a loss of around Rs4 million from the blowing up of the pylons. They said the company would suffer a loss of Rs20 million revenue a day till full power supply was restored.

They said Balochistan needed over 686mw power but at present it was receiving only 350mw from the main power distribution system and other arrangements.

They said power supply was restored to most parts of the Quetta city and the shortfall would be met through loadshedding of two to six hours in the affected areas.

The sources said installation of new pylons and repair work would take at least two weeks. “Complete restoration of power supply from the 220kv double-circuit transmission line is expected in two weeks,” they said.

Meanwhile, Zamindar Action Committee chairman Agha Taj Mohammad, general secretary Abdul Rehman Bazai and other leaders have appealed to anti-government elements not to blow up power pylons, saying it was affecting farming in the province.