KARACHI, May 12: People belonging to different walks of life have suggested the Sindh governor and chief minister to immediately enforce the Sindh Shops Act, 1979, to help save residential areas from recurring load-shedding and power breakdowns in the current hot and sultry weather.

They said that with the enforcement of the Shops Act, all shops, except for medical stores and food outlets, would be required to close down their businesses by 7pm.

Such a step will help in bridging the existing gap of 200 megawatts, between supply and demand, of electricity in the current peak season.

An elderly person calling from the PECHS Society said that the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, should take immediate notice of the frequent power breakdowns and unannounced load-shedding and get the Shops Act enforced.

He said that in the absence of electricity, neither were the students of intermediate, who have exams from May 16, being able to concentrate on their studies nor were the people residing in multi-storeyed buildings able to pump water to their overhead tanks.

“Is there any logic to allow all shops of the city remain glittering even after midnight with high voltage bulbs and air-conditioners at a time when most of the city’s residential areas are plunged in darkness owing to frequent power breakdowns and load-shedding,” remarked an elderly person of Jamshed Town.

A resident of Liaquatabad Town, who identified himself as a doctor, said that it was beyond comprehension as to why were the people at the helm of affairs reluctant to enforcing the Shops Act when a number of senior officials of the KESC had repeatedly said that the power utility had been experiencing a shortage of 200 megawatts in the current peak season, and that this shortage could be offset merely by implementing the Shops Act, in letter and spirit.

Another resident from the Federal B’ Area, Naseerabad, said that when he brought the issue of frequent power failures and load-shedding to the notice of the City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, and also requested him not to allow shops to remain open after sunset, the latter not only agreed with his proposal of enforcing the Shops Act but also assured him that he would take up the matter with the governor and chief minister in a couple of days.

Endorsing the people’s views that the current shortfall of 200 megawatts of electricity could be overcome by enforcing the Shops Act, a former engineer of the KESC, said that the power utility was, at present, getting 2,100 megawatts as against the peak season’s requirement of 2,300 megawatts.