- We are living under permanent state of threat, says resident
LAHORE: Residents of the historical Bhati Gate area are living their lives in fear caused due to the improper system of electric wires spread in the vicinity, Pakistan Today observed on Wednesday.
While passing through the area, located in the Walled City of Lahore, one can see a huge mess on streets in the shape of a jumble of live wires. While most of the area is without electricity poles due to congested streets, live wires are stranded in the streets using improper and makeshift installation techniques. Moreover, many wires can be seen uncovered which may lead to an untoward incident.
Mohsin Bhatti, a young resident of the area told Pakistan Today that these dangling wires had remained a permanent life threat for all. “We are living in a permanent state of threat as we have no alternate choice except facing this problem,” he said and added that the jumble of so many live wires had caused deaths of several people in the area yet authorities were still reluctant to resolve the issue.
Mohsin maintained that residents of the area had lodged a number of complaints with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), but nobody resolved it. “Kids of the area are at most risk due to this inconvenience as they play in the streets under the hanging wires,” he added.
He further informed that several people in the area had lost their lives due to electrocution in past.
Another resident of the area was of the view that LESCO and WCLA officials were fully aware of the situation, but they had turned their eyes blind in this regard. “This is not a new issue we are facing it since decades,” he said and added that authorities never lived up to their promises.
When inquired about the matter, WCLA Director Conservation Najam-us-Saqib said that the said area fell under the WCLA jurisdiction but they were not responsible to manage the electricity supply system. He said that WCLA was responsible for managing three areas which it had done, adding that they would preserve Bhati Gate area and take control of the electricity system. “Unless we preserve it, LESCO should take care of electricity system,” Saqib said while informing that they will start conservation of the said area soon after the allocation of funds which were expected to be released in the next fiscal year. On a question, he said that WCLA was gradually preserving the areas.
LESCO spokesman Imran Afzal was also contacted by this scribe who admitted to the jumble of live wires in the area. He said that Lesco had started a ‘beautification project’ to deal with the issue. “Our teams are keenly maintaining the system in the area and very soon they will maintain the system,” he added.