Shortage of electricity, gas in Quetta
QUETTA: Dozens of citizens suffering from cold related diseases were reported visiting hospitals and private clinics as the capital of Balochistan has been experiencing acute shortage of electricity...
February 10, 2011
Since last few days after the unknown men had blown up towers of high power transmission lines and main supply pipelines of natural gas in Balochistan.
"Our women, children and elderly have suffered from cold related diseases and we are shivering in biting cold as there is no supply of natural gas and electricity to our homes", a citizen Zahid Khan told APP on Thursday who was visiting Civil Hospital Quetta along with his child suffering from pneumonia.
Unknown men once again blew up main natural gas supply pipelines of 18-inch and 12-inch diameters in Shori area between Dera Murad Jamali and Sibi on Wednesday night at 10:40 pm just 10 minutes after the restoration of the gas supply from the both pipelines as earlier they had been blown up near Dera Murad Jamali on Tuesday morning.
Spokesman for Sui Southern Gas Company Inayatullah Ismail said that sabotage activity had created a lot of problems for consumers and SSGC staff.
When this scribe contacted spokesman for Quetta Electricity Supply
Company (QESCO) Shafqat Ali, he told that unknown men had attached explosive materials with 132-KV and 220-KV towers of high power transmission line in Aab-i-Gum area of Bolan district and detonated them with remote control.
The sabotage act has caused suspension of power supply to many districts of Balochistan, he said adding that the electricity shortfall has surged to 1000 MW to 1200 WM and it had worsened after suspension of natural gas supply to private Habibullah power plant Quetta.
Currently, we are receiving 15 MW from the private power plant and 50 MW to 60 MW from Harnai transmission line system which were insufficient to meet the demand of even Quetta city, he added.
Sources in the QESCO said about 23 districts of Balochistan were deprived of electricity supply since Saturday. They said the province was facing horrible crisis of power shortage.
Local journalists, Munir Shahwani from Mastung town and Eisa Jan Muhammad Hasni from Kharan town reported that hundreds of people had blocked Quetta-Taftan highway on Thursday to protest prolonged suspension of electricity.
This scribe visited a demonstration was held on Sirki Road of Quetta city on same day against suspension of natural gas and electricity, the protestors told him that they were forced to suffer a lot of troubles as women could not cook meal in the homes and their families were shivering in extreme cold weather.
"Traders have increased rates of LPG, coal and timber in order to mint money and very poor people could not purchase them at sky rocketing prices.
There is also shortage of medicines at hospitals," said two protestors Ali Khan and Saeed Achakzai.
We are facing problems while operating operations and surgery related cases and our hospital's wards have also been deprived of heating system after the suspension of natural gas supply and acute shortage of electricity, said Dr Farhan at Civil Hospital.
