Power supply finally restored to Shabqadar
PESCO officials promise inquiry, disciplinary action against those responsible
PESCO officials promise inquiry, disciplinary action against those responsible. PHOTO: FILE
SHABQADAR:
Power to Shabqadar was finally restored on Saturday, four days after a fire erupted in a grid station.
Owing to the prolonged outage, locals have demanded an inquiry into the incident which plunged the area into darkness for a second time in seven months. Power supply to the entire Shabqadar Tehsil and some parts of Charsadda suddenly stopped on Tuesday when a fire broke out in the Shabqadar 132 kilovolt grid station.
Officials at the station said that they had managed to restore power on Saturday evening after replacing a damaged panel. Maqbali Khan, in-charge of the grid station told The Express Tribune power supply had to be suspended when a fire broke out in one of the control rooms of the grid station supplying power to the industrial areas in Matta, Ambadher, Behlool Keel, Rashakai and Pir Qilla.
Officials immediately cut power supply from the station as firefighters battled to put out the blaze. While most of the Tehsil lost power completely, some places received power for four hours at night.
The official added that while they had repaired the damaged panels at the station, tests on Friday night unearthed new faults which disrupted and suspended supply from additional power feeders. As a result, the entire tehsil remained without power for the entire day on Saturday. JI local leader Naveed Khan, PTI Farman Khan and other local politicians have demanded an inquiry into the fire and subsequent power outage.
They claimed that there were reports which suggested that the PESCO instead of punishing the in-charge of the grid station, has decided to promote him, betraying a PESCO conspiracy against residents of Shabqadar.
Naveed claimed that two grid officials who stopped the fire from engulfing the entire whole grid station have been transferred while the in-charge was promoted. “This is the second time that grid station official in-charge had failed to protect state installations worth millions, while they are also creating problems for the locals by suspending the power supply to the entire Tehsil,” Naveed said, adding that the public wants disciplinary action against the grid in-charge.
As many as 22 power feeders supply the Shabqadar grid station with power. In turn, the station provides electricity to the entire Shabqadar Tehsil and some parts of Charsadda. With power supply lines to the Mohmand agency also passing through the Tehsil, any damage to the grid station’s supply means power supply to Mohmand is also suspended.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2017.
Power to Shabqadar was finally restored on Saturday, four days after a fire erupted in a grid station.
Owing to the prolonged outage, locals have demanded an inquiry into the incident which plunged the area into darkness for a second time in seven months. Power supply to the entire Shabqadar Tehsil and some parts of Charsadda suddenly stopped on Tuesday when a fire broke out in the Shabqadar 132 kilovolt grid station.
Officials at the station said that they had managed to restore power on Saturday evening after replacing a damaged panel. Maqbali Khan, in-charge of the grid station told The Express Tribune power supply had to be suspended when a fire broke out in one of the control rooms of the grid station supplying power to the industrial areas in Matta, Ambadher, Behlool Keel, Rashakai and Pir Qilla.
Officials immediately cut power supply from the station as firefighters battled to put out the blaze. While most of the Tehsil lost power completely, some places received power for four hours at night.
The official added that while they had repaired the damaged panels at the station, tests on Friday night unearthed new faults which disrupted and suspended supply from additional power feeders. As a result, the entire tehsil remained without power for the entire day on Saturday. JI local leader Naveed Khan, PTI Farman Khan and other local politicians have demanded an inquiry into the fire and subsequent power outage.
They claimed that there were reports which suggested that the PESCO instead of punishing the in-charge of the grid station, has decided to promote him, betraying a PESCO conspiracy against residents of Shabqadar.
Naveed claimed that two grid officials who stopped the fire from engulfing the entire whole grid station have been transferred while the in-charge was promoted. “This is the second time that grid station official in-charge had failed to protect state installations worth millions, while they are also creating problems for the locals by suspending the power supply to the entire Tehsil,” Naveed said, adding that the public wants disciplinary action against the grid in-charge.
As many as 22 power feeders supply the Shabqadar grid station with power. In turn, the station provides electricity to the entire Shabqadar Tehsil and some parts of Charsadda. With power supply lines to the Mohmand agency also passing through the Tehsil, any damage to the grid station’s supply means power supply to Mohmand is also suspended.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 16th, 2017.