TAXILA: Though Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed power utility companies to ensure power supply during Sehr and Iftar, consumers here spent the first day of Ramazan amid prolonged outages on Sunday.

Residents said Iesco had promised that there would be no loadshedding from 3am to 5pm and 6pm to 10pm. However, on the first day of the holy month, prolonged loadshedding hit many areas and as a result those offering Taraveeh faced problems in the sweltering heat.

According to the consumers, the electricity supply was closed for one hour after every hour throughout the day and there were also power failures. With the temperature rising, the prolonged outages added to the difficulties of the people.

Housewives said they were disappointed as loadshedding made it almost impossible to cook food.

“I have to prepare Sehri in the darkness while the weather was hot and humid,” said Samia Saqib, a resident of Lalazar.

Naveed Ahmed Khan of Lalarukh said he knew the government’s promise, especially that made by Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, would fall flat and there would be no relief from loadshedding during Ramazan.

“There was continuous power tripping during Taraveeh and the humid weather added to the problems of the people,” said Tauqir Riaz.

When contacted, an Iesco official at the Wah grid station said the demand increased sharply during Sehr and so they had to resort to loadshedding.

The subdivisional officer (SDO) Wah circle claimed that there was a technical problem in the transformers due to which the supply had to be closed for many hours on Sunday morning.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2017