LAHORE: A 15-foot wide breach in a canal inundated Lahore Electric Supply Company’s 132kV grid station on Multan Road leading to disrupting the power supply to various rural, semi-urban and urban areas of Manga Mandi.

While the Lesco claims to have supplied electricity to the affected areas through alternative sources, the residents complained that the localities remained without light for almost 12 hours.

“Owing to rain on Saturday, the power supply to our area suspended. We thought it might be due to feeders tripping. But, later we came to know that the grid is not working due to accumulation of rainwater there,” Irshad, a resident of Manga, told Dawn. “There was no light in our area for almost 12 hours. Later the Lesco teams partially resumed power,” he added.

According to Lesco Chief Executive Officer Chaudhry Muhammad Amin, the main reason behind the power disruption in Manga was accumulation of massive rainwater on the premises of 132kV grid station. “Due to 15-foot breach in the canal, the water kept flowing inundating the area for almost 12 hours including our grid station filled with water up to 5-foot,” he said.

The CEO said later the teams from the departments concerned reached the spot and plugged the breach with soil. “We installed eight de-watering pumps and succeeded in energising the grid station and restoring power supply fully before 12am on Monday,” he added.

PHA: The Parks and Horticulture Authority’s board of directors in its 20th meeting held on Monday decided to continue the ongoing beautification campaign in the city.

The board also decided to keep enforcing the current rates for booking of parks for weddings and other events. The board also approved construction of zip line in all parks.

It also decided to give two-year tax relief to the affectees of Hafeez Centre. Recommendations for increasing the revenue of the authority were also approved.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2021