News
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Protest against prolonged load shedding: Farmers block highways across Balochistan* Protesters stage sit-in on main roads
* ZAC chairman warns of severe action if 20-hour load shedding continuesBy Mohammad Zafar
QUETTA: The Zamindar Action Committee called a wheel-jam strike across Balochistan on Monday to protest long hours of load shedding in the province.
Traffic remained paralysed for the entire day across the province as farmers from all over Balochistan – including Quetta, Mastung, Chaman, Kila Abdullah, Loralai, Chagai, Kalat, Khuzdar, Surab, Kharan, Lasbela, Bolan, Sibi, Barkhan – blocked all main highways and roads making the strike effective and crippling everyday life.
Thousands of light and heavy vehicles were seen stuck on the highways, as the enraged protesters blocked routes for the entire day.
Logistic support to the NATO forces in Afghanistan was also disrupted on Monday as a result of the massive strike. The strike saw long queues of trailers, containers and passenger buses until sunset.
The protesters also organised sit-in protests on the railway lines and national highways and put up barricades on the roads.
The chairman of the Zamindar Action Committee, Taj Muhammad Agha, said if the duration of the load shedding was not reduced substantially, the Zamindar Action Committee would take more severe action.
Warning: He said over 20 hours of load shedding was being carried out throughout Balochistan for the past 21 days which had destroyed standing crops. He warned the government of severe consequences if the load shedding continued.
“The chief minister had given us an assurance and a deadline last Thursday but it has still not been honoured,” he said, adding that the government should come up to the promises made to the growers and provide 15 hours of uninterrupted electricity supply.
The protesters said they had incurred losses worth billions of rupees because of the load shedding and demanded the government take appropriate measures to end the load shedding, a private TV channel reported.
Quetta Electric Supply Company chief Shafiq Khatak said repair work had started and it would take approximately another week to revive the electricity supply to the affected areas of the province. “The government is not providing adequate security to WAPDA officials that is causing a delay in the repair work of the power pylons,” he added.
Sources told Daily Times that seven power pylons were destroyed in Naseerabad’s Chattar tehsil three weeks ago disrupting power supply to 40 grid stations of the province.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk