Power cuts bring routine life to standstill

Duration of power outages in Rawalpindi reaches 12 hours

RAWALPINDI:

Frequent power cuts and unannounced load-shedding have brought routine life and businesses in Rawalpindi to a standstill amidst sizzling and sweltering temperatures.

The duration of unannounced power cuts and load-shedding in Rawalpindi has reached 12 hours.

In the last 24 hours, frequent power outages every hour has severely affected the routine life and businesses in the city. Due to the power cuts, citizens are forced to awake almost all night.

The non-operation of tube wells due to power outages has also affected the water supply situation in Rawalpindi with several areas facing an acute shortage of water.

The load-shedding has also taken a toll on businesses, causing millions of rupees daily losses to traders and vendors who rely on electricity supply.

Trader Tahir Taj Bhatti said that doing business in Moti Bazaar is almost impossible without electricity in the day time. He said that the sunlight does not reach the market even during the day and in such a scenario, traders have to rely on the electricity to do business. With the increase in the during of load-shedding, traders were forced to sit idle. “How will we run our businesses without the electricity? he asked.

He said that the coronavirus pandemic had already caused huge financial losses to traders in the last two years and now load-shedding has destroyed their businesses. With the increase in the during of load-shedding, UPSs have also stopped working, he said.

He further said that the water supply situation has also exacerbated due to incessant power outages. “The water supply in residential and commercial areas has been limited to only half an hour which has resulted in water shortages,” he said.

The traders demanded that the government ensure uninterrupted power supply at least in business and commercial centres, bazaars and markets so that businesses did not suffer.

Residents demanded that the government should fix the power supply system so that they could be spared from the worst power cuts.

BBH faces water shortage

Meanwhile, the Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi is facing a severe water shortage after the only tube well installed at the hospital went out of order.

Sources said that patients and staff at the hospital are facing problems due to scarcity of water. Drinking water has also become scarce for patients and hospital staff. Surgeons were having a hard time in operation theatres due to the shortage of water.

The sources said that the tube well’s motor has been out of order for the last two days and as a result, the water supply to all departments has been suspended.

Doctors and nursing hostels, including emergency, operation theatres, pediatric, gynaecology, orthopaedics and urology departments, were also facing water shortages.

The sources said that a complaint has been lodged to the medical superintendent regarding the malfunctioning of the tube well but so far no arrangement has been made to repair the water motor.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2022.