As many as 7 power pylons have been attacked and destroyed in the province within four days, sharply decreasing supply against a demand of 1350 megawatts. Earlier two power pylons of 220 kv transmission lines were also blown up in explosions near Marri Farm in Jaffarabad.
According to Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco) officials, the blast had forced an increase in the duration of daily load shedding all over Balochistan. However, despite Qesco claims of a 12 hour load shedding schedule, Quetta is experiencing 14 to 16 hours of daily power cuts, while remote areas suffer outages up to 23 hours every day.
Citizens are irked by prolonged outages that have adversely affected daily routines and are particularly disgruntled at the absence of electricity at Iftar and Sehar.
Qesco officials maintain that the shortfall can only be met by increasing the hours of load shedding throughout the province.
Meanwhile the repair work on damaged power pylons is yet to be initiated since engineers of National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) are still awaiting security clearance.
“Officials from security agencies appear least interested in providing quick clearance for repairs which will take several days. The pipelines supplying gas to Punjab are repaired within hours,” Salam Kurd, a resident of Mach told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2011.
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It has been over a month since electricity is not being provided to the interior of province, first the pretext was that Habibullah Costal has to go trough maintenance and the schedule was suppose to be 17th of August hence the prolonged load shedding of up to 14 hours, but since Sunday, the power cuts has been increased up-to 23 hours that power pylons were blown off and with out any hesitation the BLA & BRA are claiming to blown off the pylons, I dont believe that neither BLA nor BRA are involved in it as one has to read Shehzad Baloch article ET yesterday that how the unscrupulous elements are using their names, I think it is the wapda which has recover its dues by selling this electricity to Punjab and other provinces for a higher tariff. @AJ Khan, have you thought about it, that BLA and other such organization would do this so the people of the province would take on the street against Pakistan, but there is hardly any demonstration, so make two plus two and you are right they are more friend of you know who!
BRA and BLA are making claims for the destruction of Electric Pylons. The Question is how is this serving the Baloch cause. They are adding to the miseries of the people. So people are now very sure that BRA and BLA (Sponcered by BNA, BRP and BNM etc) are as a matter of fact working against the people of Balochistan. The destruction of Pylons has made available additional 1000 Megawatt electricity to National Grid which will definately be utilised by Punjab and Karachi. BLA and BRA should clarify whether they are "Bewaquf Dost" stupid friends of Balochs or agents of MQM and PML N for making additional electricity available to them through destruction of electric pylons or the true enemies of Balochs. Having said that, the Pashtuns and Non Balochs who form about 55% of the Population will soon decide to revive the chief commissioners Province as existed in 1947 and before 1970. It was against the wishes of the Pashtuns and settlers that Balochi State of Kalat, Awaran, Bela were annexed with the Chief Commissioners province. Voices are gaining momentum for a seperate province. If Baloch militants continue their excesses there will be no way out other than to ditch them.