PESHAWAR: Power consumers belonging to Tehkal and Nauthia areas of the provincial capital on Monday staged separate demonstrations against prolonged electric loadshedding and demanded an end to the unscheduled outage.

The people, who had blocked the University Road, were carrying placards and banners. They said they were facing 18-hour power outage, but the relevant Peshawar Electric Supply Company officials were least bothered to ease their ‘suffering’.

They said that they were not involved in power theft but even then they were subjected to prolonged power outages. They demanded immediate reduction in power outage. The consumers threatened to launch a protest movement if their demand wasn’t met.

Separately, residents of Nauthia area staged a sit-in outside the Pesco’s zonal office, chanting slogans against the utility’s officials. They were also holding placards and banners inscribed with their demand for reduction in power outage.

The protesters said that prolonged power outage and Pesco officials’ alleged negligence had made their lives miserable. They added that a transformer in Nauthia had been out of order for two months, but couldn’t be repaired despite their repeated complaints to relevant Pesco officials.

The protesters said that long power cuts had led to acute water shortage in homes and mosques, and the people had been left with only option to fetch water from other localities.

They warned of continuing their protests until power cuts were reduced.

The people dispersed after assurance by local police that their concerns would be conveyed to the authorities concerned.

The protests caused severe traffic congestion on different busy roads in the provincial metropolis.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2024