KARACHI:
Currently, urban areas of Lahore are facing an average of eight hours of power outages, whereas rural areas experience approximately 16 hours of load shedding, especially at night. There is no fixed schedule for when the power will go out, nor is there any predictable rotation. This has completely disrupted people’s daily routines, as the uncertainty of the electricity supply wreaks havoc on household schedules.
Load-shedding has always been a major problem in Pakistan, and every government claims it will put an end to it. Yet, it remains one of the many unfulfilled promises made to the citizens. The weather is currently stuck between summer and autumn, fluctuating daily. Sometimes the nights become bearable, while on other days, it gets extremely hot. With this unpredictable weather, load-shedding only adds to the misery of ordinary people; without power throughout the night, citizens are forced to sleep in the heat. Furthermore, batteries for solar panels are incredibly costly, meaning green meter users derive no benefit at night from the electricity their panels produce during the day.
Twenty years ago, Pakistan was trapped in an energy crisis. Today, it remains stuck in that very same crisis. God knows when Pakistanis will finally be able to live a life free of power outages.
Zuha Iqbal Randhawa
Lahore
