SWABI: Torrential rain accompanied by thunderstorm have damaged standing crops and vegetables and caused electricity suspension for over 14 hours in the district.

The thunderstorm and rain started just an hour before Friday midnight and soon the electricity supply stopped, forcing the residents to pass a sleepless night.

This was the second night that the power supply remained suspended and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company staff faced difficulties in removing the faults and restoring electricity. The low-lying areas were inundated and many trees fell on roads causing suspension of traffic for hours.

Inundates roads, causes power suspension

Reports from various farming areas of the district said that the heavy rain flattened maize crop and vegetables and caused losses to poor farmers.

“My maize crop has fallen to the ground and it is unlikely that it would produce the desired grain, resulting in financial losses for me,” said Rahim Dad of Maneri Bala village. The roads and drains in all urban and rural areas were flooded by rainwater and majority of the drains were choked by plastic bags.

Meanwhile, residents of three villages complained that they are without electricity because transformers in their areas have gone out of order due to overload and need urgent replacement. Sources toldthis scribe here on Saturday that the burning of power transformers here in the district was common and the locals had been forced to run from pillar to post to get them repaired.

In the past, it was noted that politicians and elected leaders had arranged power transformers and placed them at their residences and whenever there was need these were provided to their supporters.

Sources said that three days ago 200KV transformer of Pabbni village burnt and the power supply was still suspended to the area and its suburbs. Similarly, two transformers in congested Panjpir village had also gone out of order.The 200KV transformer of the Barloree and 100KV transformer of Khadarkhankhel area also need urgent repair.

People of the affected areas say that they have been assured by the local Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders that the transformers would be replaced soon.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2018