As the intensity of heat is increasing the prices of room coolers and DC fans used in homes have also raised. Even though the efforts of the citizens for savings are in vain[MS1] due to sub-standard chargers batteries and water pumps that are using in these air coolers that have also elevated the expenses of citizens.
There is no check and balance on the part of government institutions so the owners of the electronic shops are selling very substandard devices to the citizens at arbitrary prices. It should be remembered that like the rest of the country, the intensity of heat has increased in the provincial capital Peshawar along with that the period of load shedding has also greater than before. Yesterday in Peshawar sun continued to rain fire, to which the short fall of active power has exceeded. According to the demand of electricity the period of load shedding has also increased in urban and rural areas. Besides the burning temperature in the city it has also increased the use of air-conditioners in government offices. According to the Meteorological Department, there are chances of more temperature rise in some plain areas of the province.
The prices of fans and air coolers have increased by 200% in the local market while the dealers have started selling the old stock at new prices. In the famous Khyber Bazaar of the provincial capital, the businessmen dealing in fans and air coolers are looting the citizens. The electronics owners have amplified the encroachment on the footpaths due to which dozens of vehicles are parked outside these shops for the movement of goods jammed the road for the ambulances. The consumers said that prices of ACDC fans, air coolers, exhaust fans, simple air coolers and fans have also raised while the hike in the prices of copper and silver wire fans, the purchase of poor citizens is almost impossible. According to a survey the prices of fans of different designs have increased from five hundred to three thousand rupees while the prices of air coolers have increased from five hundred rupees to seven thousand rupees.
It has become difficult for citizens to save money. However, there is no government-level formula as to how the price of a device will be charged. There is no check and balance on them and there is no official price list to which a dealer would sale quality fan. Similarly, the devices used in these room coolers and fans are also very weak, which burn when they are slightly heated, for which no guarantee is given.
Most of the devices burn out after a week of use, forcing users to replace them repeatedly. Citizens complain that the business of selling low-quality electronics is growing due to the incompetence of the administration. On the other hand these non-standard equipment may be a reason for short circuit which can causes fire incidents in the city. It should be remembered that two months ago, a fire broke out in the famous time center of Peshawar due to a short circuit to which the traders have lost billions of rupees and they have become bankrupt.
In the same way in the heavily populated areas of the city fires often break out which is likely to cause loss of precious lives. There is a need for the government to implement an SOP to monitor the quality of electrical appliances across the province while a standard table should be made for different types of appliances and fans under which appliances with power less than a certain standard will be banned besides buying and selling should be declared a crime by law.
Apart from that, the expiry date should clearly written on each device so that these devices are changed frequently and citizens are provided with standard electrical devices so their lives would be protected. It is hoped that the Provincial Minister of Local Government and Rural Development will pay full attention to this important issue.
