Jameela Akhter
Sheeri: People of Sheeri and adjoining villages of Narvaw are on a protest against the installation of smart meters even as the Power Development Department (PDD) has snapped electricity supply to Sheeri’s main market and some residential areas.
The protest, which began early in the day, showed no signs of relenting even after the sunset, with residents from different walks of life joining the protest demonstration.
Key figures from the community, including DDC member Narvaw Razia Hassan, BDC member Narvaw Mir Iqbal, Sarpanch Sheeri Ghulam Rasool Bhat and senior political activists like Ghulam Rasool Khan, led the charge in the presence of all Sarpanchs, representatives from the local Masjid Committees, and members of the Beopar Mandal Sheeri, .
The atmosphere in Sheeri was electric – even when the electricity supply to the area was snapped. Protesters are brandishing placards and chanting slogans demanding immediate restoration of electricity to their homes and businesses. The rallying cry echoing through the streets is “Restore our power! We won’t back down!”
In the afternoon, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Yasir Ahmad Kakroo from the PDD department confronted the protestors. He faced a sea of determined faces, all united behind a single demand –“reinstatement of power supply, and no to installation of smart meters”.
DDC member Razia Hassan addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of their unity and resilience. She stated, “We are power producers, all electric lines pass through Sheeri to the rest of the country. We have provided our land for towers, power lines and grid stations but when electricity is provided free of cost elsewhere, here we are being tortured with smart meters.”
“PDD has illegally cut our power supply; it is a violation of our human rights. They say the consumer is the king but we are pushed to the wall. Our voices cannot be silenced, and our demands cannot be ignored. It is our fundamental right to have a say in decisions that affect our lives and homes. We insist on the immediate restoration of our power supply,” she added.
Mir Iqbal, BDC member, echoed her sentiments, declaring, “This is about more than just the electricity; it’s about our rights and our dignity. We won’t allow smart meters to be installed in our area. We will continue to protest until justice is served.”
As night fell, the protesters showed no signs of dispersing. They lit bonfires and held candles, continuing protest even through darkness. The sounds of slogans and chants filled the night air, creating an atmosphere of unwavering determination.
The Power Development Department has also come under scrutiny for not addressing the aging infrastructure before proceeding with the smart meter installation. The consumers are demanding answers as to why the vital infrastructure upgrades were overlooked.
“The smart meters might be the latest innovation, but what good are they if the very lines they’re connected to are unreliable!” Sarpanch Sheeri Ghulam Rasool Bhat said.
“We’ve been living with this subpar infrastructure for far too long. It’s a matter of safety and reliability. We need proper cabling and new electric poles before these smart meters are even considered. These wooden electric poles were installed some 50 years ago,” he added.
“We’re not against progress, but progress must be responsible and sustainable. Installing high-tech smart meters won’t address the root problem if our foundation is unstable. We demand that the PDD prioritize our safety and well-being over hasty upgrades,” said General Secretary Beopar Mandal Sheeri Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone.
The smart meter installation had been a contentious issue for weeks, with many residents feeling that it was invasive and unnecessary. The anger had simmered for some time, and PDD’s decision to cut off power supply to the area seems to be the final straw.
