KASUR, July 20 Unbridled power outages forced people to take to the street by staging rallies, protest demonstrations and blocking roads on Monday. In this district, a mob ransacked a grid station, breaking its office furniture and damaging official record.

Traders observed a complete strike in Kanganpur. Later, about 1,000 or so demonstrators led by traders' union office-bearer Malik Muhammad Akram took out a rally against loadshedding from Main Bazaar to the grid station. The protesters chanted slogans against Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) officials and blocked the Kanganpur-Allahabad Road by setting tyres ablaze. They later besieged the grid station and hurled stones and bricks, damaging two vehicles parked inside the grid station.

Later, the protesters entered the grid station and broke the windowpanes and other furniture in the control room. Some of them collected record form various rooms and threw it on the road. The protesters dispersed on the intervention of SDO Muhammad Akbar.

About 300 or so protesters, including farmers from adjoining villages including Sahjra, Dhoop Saree and Fatoohewala, gathered in front of Lesco office on Abdul Qadir Road at about 11.45am here on Monday.

Led by Sahjra union councillor Qasim Ali and minority member Tara Masih, the protesters chanted slogans against Lesco authorities. The farmers said that loadshedding was taking its toll on the rice crop as tube-wells were not supplying adequate water for cultivation. They said that low-voltage power being supplied to them was damaging their home appliances also.

In the meantime, 150 villagers from Talvandi led by union council nazim Muhammad Ashiq joined them. They protested against the switching over of their village's main supply from Khudian and Allahabad feeders repeatedly.

Similarly, about 150 or so residents of Baghiana village in the limits of Phoolnagar police station protested the failure of Lesco authorities in repairing or replacing a transformer which went out-of-order three days back.

BAHAWALPUR Residents are facing great deal of inconvenience owing to power outages swollen up to six hours at a time.

Frequent tripping and voltage fluctuation has added to the miseries of citizens marred by outages. The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) has adopted a new policy of turning power supply off from both Bahawalpur and Baghdad grid stations simultaneously, depriving the entire population of the city of the benefits of electricity at the same time. Though, switching the power supply off from these feeders on the alternate was of little avail, the new scheme has aggravated the crisis.

Mepco officials inform consumers on telephone that main supply had been disconnected and they could not do any thing.

When Dawn contacted them, they repeated the rhetoric and were unable to give any satisfactory account too.

OKARA People took out a protest rally against loadshedding here on Monday.

The protesters marched to the residence of provincial minister Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna and raised slogans against him for what they believed not putting in his effort control loadshedding.

In the meantime, Lesco chief executive Akram Arain reached here and chaired a meeting of public representatives and district administration officials.

The Lesco chief announced an end to unscheduled loadshedding from Tuesday, a claim that many consider is unlikely to be met in the prevailing circumstances. However, the Anjuman-i-Tajiran is set to observe a strike on Tuesday (today).

SIALKOT The residents of this district experienced nearly 22 hours of electricity loadshedding on Sunday and Monday, as Gujranwala Electric Power Company effected six-hour outages after every 30-minute power supply.

The outages are being considered worst-ever power outages this summer, also causing suspension of water supply in urban areas, adding to the troubles of people marred by sleeplessness and restlessness that has brought normal life activities to a halt.

GUJRANWALA The business community was divided into two groups over observing a strike against loadshedding on Tuesday (today). However, a majority of traders and shopkeepers announced to observe the strike.

Dawn learned on Monday that Gujranwala cloth market board and traders of adjacent markets announced to observe the strike. However, Markazi Anjuman-i-Tajiran led by Dr. Mehmood Ahmad opposed the call and said that they would continue their businesses. The association had observed strike against loadshedding a few days ago when cloth market board had opposed it by resisting taking out a demonstration.

MIANWALI Residents of Musakhel village blocked Mianwali-Rawalpindi Road for 10 hours to protest loadshedding of electricity.

An 18-hour outage had turned the people crazy and men and women along with children took to the street. They threw traffic out of gear by setting tyres ablaze and placing boulders on the road.

Musakhel is considered to be a tribal culture dominated locality and it was first incident where womenfolk appeared on the road along with their male members.

To the utter disappointment of the consumers, the intermittent voltage fluctuations have also turned water supply turbines and domestic suction pumps out-of-order.

The demonstrators gathered at the road at around 10am, leaving public transport and luggage carrying vehicles stranded. The area DSP's persuaded the protesters to lift the blockade but it was of little avail. None of the elected representatives or official of the district administration bothered visiting the place.

When contacted, Faisalabad Electricity Supply Company (Fesco) officials said that their high-ups had instructed them to keep themselves away from any troubled spot.

The local Fesco office is otherwise helpless as loadsheding is allegedly being controlled by high-level officials stationed at Islamabad.

In the evening, DPO Akbar Nasir Khan reached the spot and convinced the mob to abandon their protest.

The traders' association has also announced to observe strike against the loadshedding on Tuesday (today).