ID :
181539
Wed, 05/11/2011 - 16:01
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/181539
The shortlink copeid
Solid approach needed to end load shedding
Karachi, May 11, 2011 (PPI): Not only in Karachi but also all other parts of the country, electricity load shedding has become a never-ending public nuisance, playing havoc not only with the economy but also badly affecting healthcare, education and other spheres of daily life, and a solid approach coupled with strong political will is needed to end this menace for good
Hour-long spells of electricity load shedding after regular intervals have brought the routine life to standstill. From office work to household chores, from classroom activities to the care of critical patients in hospitals, from market shopping to factory production everything suffers due to these cruel load-shedding spells. Children and elderly people could not sleep properly with their electric fans off due to want of electricity in this hot summer, especially at noon and early night hours. Families living in small flats face nightmarish situations when electricity goes off in congested downtown localities.
Citizens feel betrayed that the successive governments had failed to end the menace of load shedding despite passing of so many years; instead the power outages are actually aggravating with every passing day. They say huge sums were spent on so-called rental power plants to provide electricity to people on ‘emergency basis’, but the load shedding still stays. They say even the citizens of very poor countries of Africa enjoy better supply of electricity, as compared to Karachiites. They ask why the policymakers have adopted an ostrich attitude towards this pressing matter.
The consumers question why the government liberally pays subsidies of billions of rupees to the power distributing companies, when they could not deliver a satisfactory service to their customers despite recovery of heavy bills from them. They ask why these inefficient private firms are doled out huge sums from Pakistani taxpayers’ money who could not generate sufficient power, could not control line losses, could not physically take meter readings and issue billing as per actual metering figures. Sending consumers inflated bills on ‘average basis’ without proper physical meter reading is a modern method of ‘corporate looting’ and a blemish on any civilized and democratic society, the citizens often argue. They also ask the rationale of paying twice the bill amount when actually their homes and offices remain without electricity for six to nine hours a day.
As there is no consumer rights protection culture in our country and a very few citizens know about the law of torts to sue the power distribution firms for public nuisance, the electricity companies feel safe and secure while adopting unethical and non-professional approaches to fleece their consumers. The citizens feel that the government, regulatory bodies, public litigation circles and the judicial forums should take an urgent cognizance of this pressing public issue and get them rid of the nuisance of unending power load shedding.
Hour-long spells of electricity load shedding after regular intervals have brought the routine life to standstill. From office work to household chores, from classroom activities to the care of critical patients in hospitals, from market shopping to factory production everything suffers due to these cruel load-shedding spells. Children and elderly people could not sleep properly with their electric fans off due to want of electricity in this hot summer, especially at noon and early night hours. Families living in small flats face nightmarish situations when electricity goes off in congested downtown localities.
Citizens feel betrayed that the successive governments had failed to end the menace of load shedding despite passing of so many years; instead the power outages are actually aggravating with every passing day. They say huge sums were spent on so-called rental power plants to provide electricity to people on ‘emergency basis’, but the load shedding still stays. They say even the citizens of very poor countries of Africa enjoy better supply of electricity, as compared to Karachiites. They ask why the policymakers have adopted an ostrich attitude towards this pressing matter.
The consumers question why the government liberally pays subsidies of billions of rupees to the power distributing companies, when they could not deliver a satisfactory service to their customers despite recovery of heavy bills from them. They ask why these inefficient private firms are doled out huge sums from Pakistani taxpayers’ money who could not generate sufficient power, could not control line losses, could not physically take meter readings and issue billing as per actual metering figures. Sending consumers inflated bills on ‘average basis’ without proper physical meter reading is a modern method of ‘corporate looting’ and a blemish on any civilized and democratic society, the citizens often argue. They also ask the rationale of paying twice the bill amount when actually their homes and offices remain without electricity for six to nine hours a day.
As there is no consumer rights protection culture in our country and a very few citizens know about the law of torts to sue the power distribution firms for public nuisance, the electricity companies feel safe and secure while adopting unethical and non-professional approaches to fleece their consumers. The citizens feel that the government, regulatory bodies, public litigation circles and the judicial forums should take an urgent cognizance of this pressing public issue and get them rid of the nuisance of unending power load shedding.
