Editorial
This worsening crisis of electricity
How does the government mean to handle it?
the increasing frequency with which power cuts have been happening over the last few days is extremely worrying. Worse is the feeling that the authorities are either unwilling or unable to explain why the situation has come to such a pass where even a month ago it was felt that the supply of electricity had rather improved. That feeling came from the declining power outages, making citizens believe that the crisis could well be on the way to a solution. But those assumptions have now been belied. With power cuts occurring no fewer than eight times a day, it is reasonable to ask the authorities how they plan to tackle the situation. It does not matter that the government keeps telling us the power situation has improved when the realities on the ground show the exact reverse. With the power cuts comes an inevitable effect on water supply. Households are now faced with the prospect of not just inadequate electricity but the all too obvious possibility of insufficient water.
We would like to ask the authorities if they have any credible explanation to offer about the situation. More importantly, we would like to know if they really have any plans aimed at providing some relief to citizens where a good supply of electricity is concerned. With the weather registering a steep rise in temperature levels, it does not help and indeed it sounds rather insensitive when officials try to explain away the crisis as the result of increased consumption of power in homes, offices and industrial installations. Are we supposed to understand that the use of such appliances as air-conditioners, fans, et cetera, is causing all this havoc? Don't our officials realise that it is natural for people to use these appliances in such steamy weather? No, these explanations will not do. Neither will the carrots being dangled of all the plans the government has before it of augmenting power supply in the country soon. For the past two months, the authorities have compelled CNG filling stations to remain inoperative for six hours a day in the interest of saving gas as well as electricity. The obvious question now is: has such a shutdown helped us at all if we are back to all the crises now confronting us?
The choice before the government is clear. It cannot but go for emergency action on the electricity issue instead of trying to explain the crisis away. A harassed citizenry is never in a mood for philosophical journeys into contemplations of life and the crises attendant upon it. It simply knows that there is a government whose responsibility is to make life simpler, easier and more comfortable for everyone. At this point, the huge damage that the power crisis is wreaking on life can be seen in the severe effects being felt in the utilities sector. Motor workshops, hospitals and clinics, computer centres, educational institutions, CNG refuelling stations and offices have as good as come to a standstill. Water supply in homes has been disrupted; and computers, refrigerators, generators, television sets and other electrical appliances face collapse through the endless power shutdowns.
It is time for action. There is only so much agony citizens can bear. If they are in a state of discontent, the government has much to worry about.
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