RAWALPINDI: Though Iesco officials blamed technical faults for power breakdowns, the residents claimed that the distribution company had resorted to four to six hours long loadshedding in different areas of the garrison city after a few days break during Eidul Fitr.

Frequent power cuts were reported from areas along Adiala Road, Ratta Amral and Dhoke Hassu for two days. Due to the prolonged breakdowns, the supply of water from tubewells also remained suspended to these areas.

“The residents of Ratta Amral, Dhoke Hassu and adjoining areas have been forced to live without electricity in this hot and humid condition,” said Mohammad Anwar, a resident of Dhoke Ratta.

He said in the absence of electricity, tubewells could not supply water to these areas where the residents living in small houses did not have water storage facility.

Ali Abbas, a resident of Ratta Amral, said: “The three days of Eid were like a real treat for the residents as we had electricity round the clock,” he said.

Imran Ali, a resident of Bank Colony in Dhamial, said the residents suffered electricity breakdowns for 16 hours and had to bear hot and humid day without fans and water.

He said Iesco officials did not attend phone calls and it took more than 16 hours to remove the fault in the main line. He said there was a need to improve the distribution company’s services.

Maskeen Khan, a resident of Adiala Road, said water shortage and humid weather forced some of the residents to spend a day with their relatives in other areas of the city where electricity was available.

Qamar Shah was of the view that the government should work to end loadshedding otherwise the people would not vote for them in the next general elections.

He said the Iesco officials took a day to arrange a transformer to replace the faulty one.

When contacted, an Iesco spokesperson held technical faults responsible for the breakdown at Adiala Road, Dhamial and adjoining areas. “The Iesco officials are on their toes to fix the fault in other areas such as Ratta Amral.”

She said Iesco was conducting routine loadshedding but in some areas transformers could not bear the extra load and developed faults. But the officials took prompt action to repair them, she added.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2016