Businesses bear brunt of outages in Battagram
Business owners in Battagram district said they were mulling shutting down their businesses due to power outages that sometimes persist for 18-20 hours. Residents also echoed similar concerns, saying that prolonged, unscheduled outages were making life difficult for people across the district.
These concerns were voiced at a jirga (council of tribal elders) in Battagram on Tuesday to address concerns related to power outages and the power supply from the Allai Khwar Hydropower Plant.
The jirga witnessed a significant turnout including participation from key political representative, administrative and public officials, business leaders, local influentials and other stakeholders.
Participants said that they had held several meetings with both administration officials and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) representatives but there had been no concrete solution so far.
The jirga issued a joint announcement to deal with the issue of outages. It included a protest outside the deputy commissioner's residence and a sit-in at the Parliament House.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2023.