IESCO Dhamial sub division in shambles

The only two vehicles dysfunctional making it impossible for staffer to move transformers

RAWALPINDI: Dhamial sub division of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has long been in a state of complete disarray as two vehicles for hundreds of thousands of houses are off the road and shortage of field staff is creating problems for residents in emergencies

A visit to the IESCO office on Chakri Road revealed the deplorable conditions under which the field staff have to work.Two vehicles,in use of the staff have broken down and are in irreparable condition.

“In absence of the vehicles, it is impossible to transport heavy electricity transformers from the store to the desired areas. Further, it is difficult to reach at far off places in response to complaints without official vehicles”, a member of the field staff said.

He said that they had time and again informed the superiors for repair of the vehicles giving a new vehicle but so far there has been no response.

The employee further shared that they had to cover an area of over 45 square kilometers on Dhamial and Chakri Roads. The areas included thickly dense population and far off villages. There are over 800 transformers installed in the sub division and overburdened transformers often go out of order and the replacement becomes a big issue, he added.

Muhammad Irfan, a councillor from Jorian village falling in Dhamial sub division, said that residents of his area had to wait for two days before IESCO staff changed the broken down transformer. He said that he requested the IESCO staff for early replacement of the transformer but the staff found it difficult to transport the heavy transformer as they had no official vehicle.

Munib Iqbal, another resident of the area, said that they sent their own vehicle to bring in the field staff for replacement of the transformer as the staff borrowed an official vehicle from another sub division to transport the 100 KV transformer.

He added that once the transformer was taken to the area at night, the two-member team of the field staff on duty were too busy in addressing complaints to spare time for replacement of the damaged transformer. He said that in night shift only two linemen were available on duty as more staff was available at day time. In case of electricity break down at night due to bad weather, the residents have to spend days without power before the staff repair the transmission lines, he noted.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2017.