Back to the Stone Age: Citizens forced to burn coal, wood in Punjab

Residents reveal duration of electricity load-shedding has increased to eight hours every day

HEAD BAMBANWALA: The electricity and gas crisis has sent citizens hurdling back into the Stone Age. People have to do with wood and coal, the prices of which have shot up considerably in recent days.

Taking advantage of the situation, sellers have increased the prices of coal from Rs2,000 per tonne to Rs2,500, while the price of wood has been raised from Rs950 per tonne to Rs1,150 per tonne. Despite this, residents are buying these commodities at outrageous prices in order to survive.

Speaking to Express News, residents revealed that the duration of electricity load-shedding has increased to eight hours every day. The unannounced load-shedding is done after every hour, for two hours straight, they complained.



They maintained that low gas pressure, especially during breakfast, lunch and dinnertime, have made it impossible to prepare food. This, coupled with electricity outages, has made life a living hell for residents. However, authorities have turned a deaf ear to our complaints, no action is being taken, they said.

“As a result, we have to buy wood and coal at such exorbitant rates in order to keep ourselves from starving, they stated. Residents urged the authorities concerned to take notice of the situation and to take action,” one of them stated.