LANDI KOTAL, Nov 9: The residents of different parts of Khyber Agency have complained of prolonged power outages despite weather turning chilly.

According to them, electricity is supplied to the people in Landi Kotal and Jamrud tehsils for four to five hours a day only.

Jamshedullah, a resident of Kandokhel village, said locals got electric supply for three to four hours in the day and only one hour at night. He also complained that power loadshedding was unscheduled.

Farhad Khan, another resident of the village, said power consumption had considerably dropped after the start of the winter season but the people were still subjected to power outages for long hours.

He also said the voltage was so low when electric supply was restored that he could light bulbs only.

The villager said like thousands of others, he was in distress due to prolonged suspension of electric supply.

Meanwhile, the Tribal Areas Electricity Supply Company has appealed to its consumers in tribal areas to avoid use of electrical heaters, geysers and ovens to help it minimise the duration of loadshedding.

In a statement issued on Friday, Tesco said major cause of loadshedding and low voltage was the lavish use of electricity by consumers in Fata and that formed it to resort to power outages.

It appealed to its consumers to install meters at home and workplaces and regularly pay bills to get rid of the problems of low voltage and prolonged loadshedding.

However, president of Landi Kotal Traders Association Lal Rahim said all traders and shopkeepers, too, were subjected to almost 16 hours of loadshedding despite the fact that they had meters installed at their workplaces and regularly paid power bills.

Rejecting Tesco appeal for lesser use of electrical appliances during the winter season, Farhad Khan said use of geysers, heaters and ovens was out of question in the season when only a bulb could be lit due to low voltage.

There are also reports about prolonged power cuts at the Agency Headquarters Hospital, Landi Kotal.

An official said the staff at the local grid station repeatedly promised the uninterrupted electric supply to the hospital but the promises turned out to be false.

He said electric supply was suspended frequently in the day adversely affecting patient care.

The official said the hospital paid power bills regularly but even then, they were subjected to excessive loadshedding.