Load-shedding woes: Irate protesters demand immediate restoration of power

Say they have been without electricity for 18 hours

FAISALABAD: Scores of residents of Dijkot and adjacent villages staged a demonstration against the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) on Monday over prolonged unscheduled load-shedding in their areas.

The demonstrators gathered on the Sammundari-Faisalabad Road and blocked it for traffic. They set up blockades.

Akbar Ali, one of the protesters, said they had not had electricity for 18 hours straight. “We have complained about it to the Fesco subdivision and the headquarters but they haven’t done anything about it.”

Another protester said they had been unable to provide water to livestock. “It’s as if life comes to a standstill.” He said they did not even have water to perform ablutions before prayers. The protesters shouted slogans against Fesco and demanded immediate restoration of power to their localities. A team of Fesco officials arrived at the demonstration and succeeded in placating the protesters.

Fesco Spokesperson Tahir Sheikh said a 10/13-MVA power transformer at the 220-KV Samundari Road Grid Station had become overloaded because of which consumers of the Al-Barkat Feeder had to face low voltage problems.

He said Fesco engineers were trying to replace the 10/13-MVA power transformer with a 20/26-MVA power transformer. “That is why electricity to the Al-Barkat Feeder had been suspended.” The areas affected because of it were Dijkot, Chuta Jahangir, Samundari Road and adjoining areas. “Their connections will be shifted to other feeders to provide them relief.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2016.