TAXILA: The residents of Taxila are facing eight to 15 hours suspension in electricity and gas supply during peak hours for the last several days, crippling their life in chilly weather.

Gas and electricity crisis in the twin cities of Taxila and its adjoining areas has once again reached alarming level.

With mercury almost touching zero Celsius, gas and electricity have almost vanished from various residential and commercial areas of Taxila.

Iesco is carrying out six to eight hours unannounced load shedding in the urban areas and 12 to 14 hours in rural areas, while most localities are also experiencing no or low gas pressure.

The prolonged power loadshedding has also resulted in acute water shortage in many areas.

Even in the areas where there is no gas loadshedding people complain of low pressures especially in the early morning, creating problem for the school and office goers as they cannot have breakfast.

In the absence of gas, people are forced to use firewood or coal for cooking or keeping themselves warm.

Saeed Ahmed, an office-bearer of local traders union, said after a break of two months, Iesco has started eight to 15 hours unannounced loadshedding. He said loadshedding had also hit shopkeepers and domestic consumers.

Khalid Minhas, who operates a photocopier in Taxila main chowk complained of low business activity due to unscheduled load shedding. He said he used to earn Rs5,000 daily but his income had dropped to around Rs2,000 due to power outages. Ansar Mehmood, a computer repair shop owner said: “We are suffering losses because of prolonged power outages.”

The unannounced power loadshedding has disturbed flour supply, the industry sources said.

More than 20 flour mills, working in the area, have failed to meet the target due to prolonged electricity and gas load shedding and virtually the production in the flourmills was down by almost 50pc.

A mill owner has said that the flourmills traditionally work for 24 hours at a stretch. With frequent power outages during daytime and for long hours at night, he said the mills operations were almost cut by half.

When contacted, an Iesco official said supply was being suspended directly from Islamabad and they were trying to get a schedule for the outages.

SNGPL distribution official said increasing demand and excessive consumption of gas in the area was in fact a leading cause of low pressure of gas.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2019