Load-Shedding: Power cuts irk people in Balochistan

QUETTA: Load-shedding throughout Balochistan has become a nuisance for people who continue to experience 10 hours of power cuts in urban areas and 16 to 18 hours in all district headquarters. According to the Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco), Balochistan is facing a shortfall of 630 megawatts while 600 megawatts is available against the total requirement of 1,230 megawatts. A Qesco spokesperson said six to eight hours of load-shedding is being carried out in Quetta, 10 hours in the district headquarters and 14 to 16 hours in remote areas. However, scheduled or unscheduled, the power cuts continue to irritate the locals of Quetta. “They have increased the hours of load-shedding in May. They [Qesco] disrupt the supply every two to three hours in Saryab,” said a local, Haseebur Rehman.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2011.