Kharar residents block highway over erratic power supply

Irked over the erratic power supply since past several days, Kharar residents on Sunday blocked the Kharar-Chandigarh highway under the flyover at the bus stand crossing for approximately two hours--11 am to 1 pm.

The blockade resulted in significant traffic congestion, with the traffic police struggling to manage the flow of vehicles on one side of the highway. But despite this, there were long queues of vehicles.

Balbir Singh, a leader and farmer participating in the protest, expressed his frustration, stating, “Punjab chief minister has been announcing to give free power, especially at tube wells, but he must first arrange for power. We have been reeling under major power crises for the past 10 days. As the power goes off, the supply of drinking water supply also gets affected.

Satinder Singh, SDO, Powercom City Kharar-2, stated, “A major issue in the electricity supply has arisen due to a breakage in the 11 KV grid. Efforts are on to resolve this. The supply issues in Ajit Enclave and other affected colonies are being addressed.”

Sarwan Singh, another Kharar resident and farmer, shared similar sentiments, saying, “We will keep on blocking the highways in protest so that our voices can reach the deaf ears of the Punjab government. Electricity and water are two essential commodities, but the Punjab government is hardly bothered to provide.”