KOHAT/MARADAN March 17: Prolonged loadshedding has been badly affecting business activities and preparation of students for examinations besides hitting hard the daily wage labourers associated with electricity-dependant businesses in Hangu, Kohat and Mardan districts.

The 20-hours daily loadshedding in some areas like Lachi tehsil of Kohat had been resulting in drinking water shortage and forcing the traders to close down their shops in the evening earlier than usual.

The consumers in Lachi had warned the government that if the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) did not stop the unjustified loadshedding they would block the Indus Highway in protest.

In Hangu, the consumers held a protest demonstration against the power outages in the bazaar and chanted slogans against the Pesco. They alleged that the local staff of the company was resorting to prolonged outages. They alleged that the staff wassystematically carrying out loadshedding to hide huge power theft in certain areas.

They demanded immediate transfers of the XEN and SDOs from Hangu, complaining that their businesses, education of childrenand routine life had been badly affected by the outages.

In Mardan, the residents said that despite several protest demonstrations and requests the government did not take steps to alleviate their sufferings at the hands of the Pesco staff. Mohammad Ismail, a local carpenter, lamented that on the one hand thegovernment was ordering prolonged loadshedding, on the other they had been receiving inflated bills. He said that the business activities related to electricity-run machines were severely affected and many temporary employees in the city were going totheir homes empty-handed or with little money at the end of the day.

Adil Khan, a 10th grade student, said that frequent power outages had made it impossible for him to properly prepare for his examinations. He said that the government had done nothing for solving the energy crisis in its last four years despite makingtall claims.

Meanwhile, members of the local chamber of commerce and industry and different trader unions during a joint meeting have condemned the Pesco authorities for not solving the problem of loadshedding.