PESHAWAR: Hundreds of people from the outskirts of the provincial capital stormed a grid station and shut down feeders on the second Eid day on Friday here complaining about prolonged power suspension amid hot and humid weather.

The protesters, who belonged to Sarband, Peshtakhara, Ring Road, Hazarkhwani and adjoining areas, stayed put at the Industrial grid station on the Kohat Road for around five hours and dispersed only after authorities held talks with them and promised an immediate power restoration.

Staff members didn’t offer any resistance to the mob that remained peaceful and didn’t damage the grid station.

The protesters complained that the prolonged power outages in the pre-monsoon weather had spoiled Eid festivity and forced them into staging street protests and storming the grid station.

They said the Peshawar Electric Supply Company denied them electricity in the name of “so-called load management plan, approved shutdowns, technical power failures, and intense fluctuations in voltage.”

Disperse after authorities promise smooth power supply

The protesters said that authorities had promised them power supply on alternate hours but they didn’t ensure paralysing their life.

They also complained that the excessive power cuts caused water shortage and left refrigerators off rotting the meat of animals sacrificed on Eid.

“Whenever we contacted the relevant Pesco officials, they attribute power cuts to faults and maintenance,” a protester told Dawn.

He also complained that the government announces smooth electric supply on every Eid, but that wasn’t the case this year as the Pesco subjected the residents of the provincial capital to the repeated suspension of power supply.

The protesters said the areas worst hit by the power crisis on the outskirts of the provincial capital included Sarband, Mathura, Hazar Khawani, Bazid Khel, Badhabir, Matni and Civil Quarters.

They said they got so frustrated by power outages amid hot and humid weather that they stepped out to stage street protests and besiege the Industrial Grid Station.

They shouted slogans against the Pesco and government over failure to ensure smooth power supply during the religious festival.

Spokesman for the Pesco wasn’t available for comment on the matter despite repeated calls by this correspondent on his mobile phone.

However, Misbahuddin, a member of the Pesco board of directors, claimed that there was no shortage of electricity and that power supply to the province was “managed on the basis of line losses.”

He said that the people, who besieged the industrial grid station, didn’t pay power bills and therefore, they had to face power suspension in line with the power utility’s policy.

“Around 90 per cent line losses are recorded in Sarband and adjacent areas,” he said.

The Pesco BoD member said that the residents besieged the grid station at 7pm and went away after 11pm after Pesco and police officials held talks with them at the Bala Manari police station.

“We [board members] spoke to the Pesco chief executive officer and got power supply to the entire Peshawar city restored for 24 hours,” he said.

He said the people “occupied” the grid station and shut down power supply to feeders of Kohat Road (New), Kohat Road (Old), Ameen Colony, Landi Arbab, Deri Baghbanan, Nauthia, Lalazar, Bahadar, Bara, Peshtakhara, Sarband, Landi-I, Landi-II, Landi-III and other areass.

Mr Misbahuddin complained about staff shortage at the Pesco and said currently, the power utility had “only 30 per cent” of approved staff strength to serve consumers.

“The Pesco has to fill sanctioned posts, but it is impossible due to a ban on new recruitment.

We have proposed the appointment of at least 7,000 line staff members to address power problems, but the government has yet to respond to our proposal,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2023