DERA GHAZI KHAN-The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) kept suspended the power supply to hundreds of thousands of homes in Dera Ghazi Khan's Fort Munro and its adjacent areas for the third consecutive day on Tuesday on the issue of line losses.
Even Fort Munro Grid Station has been locked and officials concerned have been ordered to leave the station and report duty at another grid station at Sakhi Sarwar. Tribal areas have been plunged into darkness as transmission line was disconnected from 132 KV Grid Station Sakhi Sarwar on Saturday. Due to the breakdown, more than 50,000 people along with their animals of tribal area, 85 km away from here, have been deprived of water for over three days as the electricity connections of water supply tube wells are still disconnected.
Last week, hundreds of people with children protested and staged a sit-in against 22-hour loadshedding on the interprovincial Punjab-Balochistan road but the Mepco administration has not taken a step in this regard. Instead of reducing loadshedding, Mepco has suspended power supply now.
When contacted, Sub Station Operator of Grid Station Khar Tariq Jameel said the grid station has been locked and power supply suspended on the order of authorities. To a question, he replied suspension of electric power was due to line losses.
When approached, Mepco Quetta Sub Division SDO Jan Alam Khan said Khar Grid Station has been locked after protest of people. He said Mepco was bearing financial loss due to theft of electricity. This issue might be resolved in next two days, as he was preparing report about it.
Talking to The Nation, local residents Ahmed Leghari and Jan Khan Leghari said suspension of power supply was failure of Mepco administration. Only two lineman of Mepco were working there who were unable to manage the all matters and to stop theft of electricity. They demanded Mepco restore electricity immediately and establish a proper office there. They said that due to line losses, all the consumers could not be punished.