CHARSADDA: People of Rajar protested against 24 hours of unannounced load shedding of electricity and blocked Tangi Main Highway and disrupted traffic.
The protest was announced to continue till the end of unannounced load shedding. According to local sources, power has been cut off in Rajar and surrounding areas since yesterday morning. Power was not supplied to the area for even a few minutes during the last 26 hours.
Citizens, especially children, the sick and the elderly, are facing severe hardships due to extreme heat and confinement. Business centers, shops, workshops and industries are closed. Water supply was also affected as there was a shortage of drinking water due to the closure of tube wells.
The protest was led by social leaders and local elders from the area. Protesters gathered on the narrow main highway on Friday morning, burning tires and erecting roadblocks. Traffic from Charsadda to Tangi, Shabqadar and Khyber was completely stopped due to the closure of the highway. Passenger vehicles, rickshaws and freight vehicles stuck in queues for several kilometers. Protesters chant slogans and demands
The protesters raised strong slogans against WAPDA and the government. “Load shedding is unacceptable, keep promises,” he said. Protester Malik Gulzada told media that according to the announcement, they are tolerating load shedding for 6 to 8 hours a day, but the complete blackout for the last 26 hours has made life difficult for the people.
The protesters demanded: Power supply should be restored immediately in Rajdar, unannounced load shedding should be stopped, electricity should be supplied according to the announced schedule, transformers and feeders should be repaired immediately.
Naseem, one of the protesters, said there was no water in the houses, children were suffering from heat and it was difficult to take patients to hospitals. Shopkeeper Haji Rahim said that thousands of rupees are being lost daily as the equipment of fridges and freezers is deteriorating.
SDO WAPDA and local police reached the spot-on receiving information about the protest. He held talks with the protesters and assured them that teams were working to restore power and the problem would be resolved soon. However, the protesters said that “until the power is restored and the unannounced load shedding is ended, the protest will continue and the highway will remain closed,” WAPDA said.
According to WAPDA sources, there was a technical fault in the feeder which is taking time to fix. Sources said that load shedding is being done in the area due to high line losses, but the 26-hour shutdown is due to technical fault.
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