ABBOTTABAD had thunderstorm and heavy rain after maghrib in the evening recently. Its aftermath was still there in the city and outskirts even after 24 hours. There was no electricity in major parts of the Abbottabad district. The staff of the Water and Power Development Authority did their best to restore the transmission back to normal but our transmission lines are so old that the weather conditions are a threat to them at any time.

The authorities concerned must start switching the current transmission lines to the underground and develop safe system within the city and urban areas. The time will come when bad weather will not affect the transmission and will save a lot on the repair, loss and theft. The electricity is backbone of any industry. Having an uninterrupted power supply will also have good impact on country’s production and bring relief to domestic consumers.

Taimur Rafique

Abbottabad

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019