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Power cut forces family to spend night in a car!

SHARJAH — Residents of Industrial Area No. 6 in Sharjah have been going through a harrowing experience for the past 10 days with frequent and long spells of power disruption forcing them to spend nights in cars with the air-conditioner on or on the terraces of their buildings to beat the intense heat.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, the residents said that in the past 10 days, power supply to the entire area next to G&T roundabout (Macro Supermarket) was disrupted between 7 pm and 10 pm, and sometimes from 10pm to 7am the next morning without any prior notice.

"I have four small kids, and when power supply is disrupted without warning, we have to make arrangements for the children," said Shafqat Muneer.

"On the first day, when power supply was disrupted, it was also the hottest days in the UAE. I and my wife kept on devising ways to keep the children cool throughout the night," he said, adding: "We took them to the corniche, poured cool water over them, and finally slept in the car with the AC on all night."

Industrial Area No. 6 is also a business hub. Continuous power disruption has affected the business of shopkeepers, particularly if the supply is cut off in the evenings.

Ejaz Ahmed, who owns a hardware shop in the area, said: "I practically have to shut down my shop since the entire evening is wasted. Actually, it is only in the evenings that we earn, and due to power cut, we are facing huge losses."

Other residents from the area said they even had to spend a night on the rooftop when power supply was disrupted.

"We spent a night on the rooftop because of the power cut," said Mohammed Khan. "Though there are several families residing in the building, the bachelors too are human and also feel the heat. It is unfair that the power is disconnected without warning. If we know beforehand, we can at least make arrangements to spend the night with some friends," he added.

Surprisingly, none of the residents or shopkeepers have complained to Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) saying that it would be of no use. "We did not think it important to contact Sewa because we know no one will respond to our complaints," they said.

The sanitary condition in the area too is in a bad state. Overflowing gutters, missing manhole covers and garbage dumps also add to the sad state of affairs in the area. "Despite our repeated requests and several complaints, nothing has changed in this area. We have little hope," the residents said.