SHEIKHUPURA: The Lahore-Sheikhupura road remained blocked for traffic near Qila Sattar Shah for about eight hours after seven electricity poles fell on the highway during the rain on Monday.

According to a Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) officer posted in Kot Abdul Malik sub-division, who requested anonymity, the poles were old and their foundations had become weak due to which they collapsed in rain.

Because of the collapsed poles, the Lahore-Sheikhupura track of the road was blocked for traffic, resulting in long queue of vehicles on the other side.

The situation worsened because neither Lesco nor traffic police bothered to remove the poles in time.

Later, the locals and shopkeepers running their businesses on both sides of the road removed the poles to clear the highway for traffic.

A Lesco team from Kot Abdul Malik reached the spot when the traffic had already been restored.

A group of locals, who were joined by the affected shopkeepers, later staged a demo against the slackness and negligence of traffic police and Lesco and chanted slogans against them.

Lesco’s Kot Abdul Malik SDO said the tree removing operation was delayed because the field staff was busy restoring electric supply that suspended in different parts of the sub-division because of rain.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2018