Loadshedding cripples life

Loadshedding has become one of the major civic problems in the Frontier province where power supply usually remains suspended for 12 to 16 hours daily, which is more than the schedule announced by the Peshawar Electric Supply Company. Pesco officials had recently announced that loadshedding in the urban areas would be carried out for nine hours and in the rural areas for 11 hours. But consumers’ complaints show that in the urban localities, even in cantonment areas, power remains suspended for 12 hours and in the rural areas for about 16 hours or more.

This difference in the loadshedding hours is live example of the difference between words and deeds of Pesco officials, which has caused serious unrest among the people belonging to every walk of life. The situation has taken a serious turn as people have started protest demonstrations in every nook and corner of the province.

Having had enough of the continuous prolonged power breakdowns, not only ordinary citizens but the elected representatives are also taking part in protest demonstrations. In many areas people have announced that they would not pay monthly electricity bills.

Coupled with many other problems the power breakdown has virtually crippled routine life in the province. Majority of the people are complaining of non-availability of water, especially in the areas where people are totally dependent on the official tube-wells. Besides mosques and residential colonies, water shortage is seriously felt by the farmers in different districts as due to the power suspensions they could not operate tube-wells to irrigate their agricultural land.

Farmers say that they used diesel for running water pumps in the past but due to the hike in price of petroleum products they can’t purchase diesel for the purpose and now they are totally dependent on electricity.

If the situation remains the same the farmers will not be able to grow different crops and vegetables and as a result the existing shortage of such commodities will further worsen.

The industrialists have also warned of closing their units in Gadoon Amazai and Hayatabad Industrial Estates due prolonged power outages. They blame Pesco officials for not keeping their words to ensure smooth power supply to the industries, which has resulted into slashing the number of workers in many units.

The domestic and commercial consumers are also hit hard by power outages. They are compelled to spend huge amount to arrange uninterrupted power supply and power generators both at homes and shops. The routine work in government and private offices is delayed for many hours due to power suspension.

The delivery of free books to various government schools was also delayed this year reportedly and the officials concerned blamed power suspension for the delay.

The prolonged power suspensions have not only affected the routine life in cities and rural areas but it has also caused increase in the crime ratio. Breaking into houses and street crimes in the darkness have become order of the day.

Moreover, situation in the healthcare centres has also deteriorated alarmingly, where the X-rays, ultrasound and different laboratory tests cannot be carried out owing to loadshedding and the patients sometimes in precarious condition are forced to wait till restoration of the power supply.

In many areas thieves taking advantage of the darkness and have taken away the power transformers depriving residents of various localities like Mathra, Larama and Nasir Bagh of the facility.

The situation needs immediate attention of the central government and officials of the power utility in order to overcome the problems otherwise the unrest among the people would further increase to an extent that government would be unable to control them.

The residents of Mardan, the home district of NWFP Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, have demanded of the chief minister to issue directives for suspension of the water supply to Punjab through Ghazi Barotha canal.

The people have also been complaining about the inflated bills. Pesco officials are also bound to carry out loadshedding in accordance with the schedule they have announced.