PESHAWAR, Dec 16: People of the provincial capital are facing hardships because of frequent unannounced suspension of supply of electricity as well as gas.

According to consumers, the supply of gas usually remain suspended during morning and evening hours.

Consumers in Dilazak Road area said the officials concerned were not responding to their complaints.

A consumer in Gulberg said the gas pressure was so low that it could not be used for cooking. He said school children were the worst affected and people might be forced to protest on the roads if the situation did not improve.

A woman in Hayatabad said the erratic gas supply had the people to purchase wood for cooking. She said gas was being supplied to industrial units.

Consumers in Kohati Gate, Charsadda Road, Yakatuth, Choti Lal Kurthi, Tehkal, Faqirabad, Shaheen Colony, Bara Gate and Muslimabad had similar complaints.

Complaints about the low gas pressure were also received from Mominabad, Gharibabad, Kakshal, Madina Colony and Zargarabad.

Officials on the gas supply firm’s helpline said the problem usually arose with cold weather because of pressure on the main supply line. Thy said survey teams were visiting the affected areas to solve the problems.

As far as electricity supply is concerned, the duration of loadshedding in the rural areas is about three times as compared to the urban areas.

Officials of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company said supply from the Tarbela Dam had decreased by about 300 megawatts over the past four days because of shortage of water. An official said Pesco’s demand was 1,200MW, while the supply was about 900MW, which had forced the company to begin power management in various areas.

He claimed that loadshedding was carried out for 30 minutes daily. He said the duration was likely to increase during the winter.

Admitting that the duration of loadshedding was longer in the rural areas, he said the tribal areas were the most affected.

He said people in the tribal areas were not paying their monthly bills so they had to face more problems.

He said all the feeders were overloaded and the supply had to be managed through loadshedding.

Consumers in Hayatabad, Gulberg, Sethi Town, Dilazak Road, Kohati, Faqirabad village and other areas said the supply was suspended for more than an hour at least three times a day.

The inhabitants of Regi area held a meeting at a local seminary and alleged that power supply to the marble factories and other industrial units had not been affected but the domestic consumers were facing loadshedding.