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NOWSHERA: The enraged residents took to the streets in Nowshera to protest prolonged and unannounced power outages, low voltage and frequent tripping, blocking several entry and exit routes in the district.
The residents of Nowshera Kalan, Kheshgi, Khandar, Risalpur and other areas gathered and staged protests. They blocked roads at several locations. Demonstrators also staged a sit-in at Kheshgi Chungi, keeping the Grand Trunk (GT) Road closed to all traffic for hours.
Long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road, causing severe inconvenience to commuters and motorists. The protesters said power outages lasting around 20 hours a day had paralysed routine life in Nowshera. They said electricity remained unavailable for several hours amid extreme heat, while the voltage remained low even when power was restored.
The protesters complained of repeated tripping and what they described as a continuous cycle of power restoration and outages throughout the night, with electricity returning for only a few minutes before disappearing again.
According to the protesters, low voltage and sudden fluctuations were damaging household electrical appliances, including fans, refrigerators, televisions, water pumps and other equipment, causing huge financial losses to the residents.
The demonstrators set a deadline for the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to take action to resolve the issues of prolonged outages, low voltage and frequent tripping. They warned that the protest would be expanded and roads blocked again if the issues were not resolved.
