Attock, May 18: Power loadshedding is the mother of all miseries, as it adversely affects every sector of life, people said while referring to the 20 hours of power failure observed here.

Prolonged power outages have contributed to acute water shortage, resulting in hardships for residents, educational institutions, hospitals and public offices, it has been learnt. However, the water-supply business has seen a boom as people are forced to purchase water-tankers to meet their daily demands of water.

People complained that tubewells and water suction motors were not operational due to the 20-hour loadshedding, and the tehsil municipal administration (TMA) had not made any alternative arrangements to address the needs of the residents.

As a result, residents were forced to purchase water from water-tanker suppliers which normally costs Rs600 to Rs700, but due to increased demand, people have to pay Rs1,000. The tanker hardly meets the demand for two days.

Water-tankers are basically meant to meet the demand of water at construction sites, but are now busy supplying water to the residents.

People running this business said they had to run suction pumps with standby generators due to loadshedding, and water was stored in storage tanks once electricity was available. They said that fortunately, the underground water level was high enough due to sufficient rains, which was a blessing.

Traders and retailers, especially those related to the sale of beverages and ice-creams, have also installed generators to ensure smooth business, but this has increased the cost of the commodity.

Similarly, service stations and greenbelts in residential areas of Attock have also been affected by the water shortage.

People said the lengthy power breakdowns had put them in severe mental and physical anguish, which would worsen during the peak summer season.

“Food items and life-saving drugs, which require a minimum temperature, have perished due to power failure, and appliances such as refrigerators and water pumps have also broken down,” they maintained. Others said the government had provided no relief despite the recovery of heavy utility bills.