Electricity woes: Shabqadar residents demand permanent solution to outages
Say some areas area they are facing 20 hours of loadshedding.
SHABQADAR:
Residents of Shabqadar have appealed to the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to find a solution to the incessant power outages in the area.
They said in some areas they are facing around 20 hours of loadshedding daily and despite their complaints nothing is being done to improve the situation. Owners of around 100 marble factories in Subhan Khwar have demanded a separate feeder from Pesco, but that too has fallen on deaf ears.
Naveed Mohmand, the vice-president of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Charsadda chapter, said that people are without electricity all day and the supply is resumed for only two hours late in the night when people have no use for it.
“People were already facing problems due to lack of gas supply and the prolonged power cuts are adding to their woes,” said Haji Dilawar Khan, a former senator. He claimed that the project to supply gas to the area was put on the back burner due to a row between the Awami National Party and Qaumi Watan Party Chief Aftab Sherpao.
Meanwhile, Pesco authorities demoted Executive Engineer Abdul Samad Khan for recovering less dues compared to the previous year.
Pesco Subdivision Officer Sajid Khan Safi said that loadshedding hours are higher for electricity feeders where recoveries are low. He said that areas connected to the Bahlol Khel feeder are facing around eight hours of loadshedding, while others for which recoveries are low face more.
He confirmed that some areas are facing up to 16 hours of loadshedding, adding that electricity supply to 26 marble factories has been disconnected after they were found to have acquired illegal connections.
When asked why some areas are facing up to 20 hours of power cuts, he said the defaulting feeders are allowed to have one hour of power after every two hours, but it could be due to an overload, as in the case of Haleemzai feeder.
Safi said that Rs6.15 million are being spent to install equipment at the Fatima Khel feeder, adding that prolonged power cuts in areas connected to the feeder are “obvious” but assured that the situation will improve soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2012.
Residents of Shabqadar have appealed to the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to find a solution to the incessant power outages in the area.
They said in some areas they are facing around 20 hours of loadshedding daily and despite their complaints nothing is being done to improve the situation. Owners of around 100 marble factories in Subhan Khwar have demanded a separate feeder from Pesco, but that too has fallen on deaf ears.
Naveed Mohmand, the vice-president of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Charsadda chapter, said that people are without electricity all day and the supply is resumed for only two hours late in the night when people have no use for it.
“People were already facing problems due to lack of gas supply and the prolonged power cuts are adding to their woes,” said Haji Dilawar Khan, a former senator. He claimed that the project to supply gas to the area was put on the back burner due to a row between the Awami National Party and Qaumi Watan Party Chief Aftab Sherpao.
Meanwhile, Pesco authorities demoted Executive Engineer Abdul Samad Khan for recovering less dues compared to the previous year.
Pesco Subdivision Officer Sajid Khan Safi said that loadshedding hours are higher for electricity feeders where recoveries are low. He said that areas connected to the Bahlol Khel feeder are facing around eight hours of loadshedding, while others for which recoveries are low face more.
He confirmed that some areas are facing up to 16 hours of loadshedding, adding that electricity supply to 26 marble factories has been disconnected after they were found to have acquired illegal connections.
When asked why some areas are facing up to 20 hours of power cuts, he said the defaulting feeders are allowed to have one hour of power after every two hours, but it could be due to an overload, as in the case of Haleemzai feeder.
Safi said that Rs6.15 million are being spent to install equipment at the Fatima Khel feeder, adding that prolonged power cuts in areas connected to the feeder are “obvious” but assured that the situation will improve soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2012.