August 27, 2008	Wednesday	Sha'aban 24, 1429

PESHAWAR, Aug 26: As people in the provincial metropolis braved unprecedented power outages on Monday night and Tuesday, there was no official word for the consumers, already annoyed with excessive billing and poor customer service of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company.

Reports gathered from different localities of provincial capital suggested that power supply remained suspended for 14 to 16 hours in different intervals on Monday night and Tuesday.

Unannounced power disruption was continued even till filing of this report on Tuesday evening, triggering protests in different parts of the city of 2.5 million people.

Dwellers of Faqirabad area blocked the Dalazak road for all kinds of traffic. They burnt tyres and chanted slogans against Pesco, following which power supply was restored to the area.

Consumers in Hazarkhwani area of Peshawar will stage a similar protest demonstration against power disruption on Ring Road today (Wednesday).

Power outages badly affected the routine life, as people spent Monday night on roads. Especially, students of degree classes suffered the most, as their annual examination was in progress.

“I could not concentrate on my paper as I felt sluggish all the time because I could not sleep for a single moment last night owing to loadshedding,” Sajjad Khan, a student of Political Science told Dawn.

Ironically, when the provincial capital was suffering from one of the worst power outages, no official clarification, as was the case in past, was issued by Pesco high-ups. The Pesco spokesperson, when contacted, told this scribe that he was not authorised to issue a clarification.

A senior official of the public utility, however, said that power supply has been suspended from the National Power Control Center (NPCC), an Islamabad-based body which carries out forced load shedding, whenever required.

The official explained that thermal power generation had reached to the lowest ebb because of high oil prices and the Wapda’s some outstanding issues with the Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

He said the Pesco had already taken up the matter with the Wapda high ups and now waiting for the response because the consumers were facing load shedding in addition to the routine schedule.

Our Correspodent adds from Swabi: Residents of tehsil Chota Lahore blocked Swabi-Jehangira for an hour as a protest against the prolonged power loadshedding here on Tuesday.

Led by union council nazim, Haji Sher Aman, the protesters marched to the bus stop on Swabi-Jehangira road and erected blockade there. No vehicle was allowed to cross the road.

They were also chanting slogans against the government and officials of Pesco. A heavy contingent of police was deployed due to avoid any untoward situation. At a certain stage the protesters were poised to turn violent but their leaders told them to keep the blockade of the road intact and remain peaceful.

Addressing the protesters their leaders said that neither they could sleep at night nor work at day owing to hours-long power outage.

Officials of police and Pesco held talks with the leaders of protesting people, assuring them that prolonged and unnecessary loadshedding would be given up. After the assurance by the officials, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Our Correspodent adds from Kohat: The extraordinary loadshedding in Kohat district compelled the private schools to extend vacations till September 1.

Pesco has been resorting to 12 to 15 hours loadshedding whereas the voltage remains extremely low during supply of the electricity disturbing routine of life.

It is the daily routine followed by Pesco for the last one month after militants blew up pylons at Sheikh Mohammadi supply line. For the last couple of days Pesco has started six to seven hours loadshedding both during night and day making excuse that the city grid cannot take the load and they have to shut it down for its safety.