SAHIWAL: The Government Jinnah Public Library, the third biggest library of Punjab, has no power generator, causing problems for readers in sweltering and muggy summers amid prolonged electricity loadshedding.

Readers and permanent library members demand that the library is provided with a generator or a solar panel installed at three-kanal roof for backup.

The management says the ongoing loadshedding has severely affected library readership because it becomes hard to read in hot weather conditions. The library remains nonoperational half of the time as everybody moves out of it in case of loadshedding. About 300 to 400 people visit the library daily.

Zakriya Khan, one of oldest and regular library visitor, says nobody can read in the library because of loadshedding and high temperature. One needs a calm and cool environment for reading and it is impossible to read when one is sweating due to hot weather, he says and complains that the library has no backup generator or any other power source during loadshedding.Khan disapproves the idea of a generator for the library, saying the library must be equipped with `solar panel` as it will have create less noise and air pollution which will not disturb the readers.

Farzana Naseem, another library visitor from Farid Town, says there is two hours loadshedding after each hour.

Muhammad Hamid, a student from the COMSATS, Sahiwal, says during winter one can sit in the library but it becomes impossible in summer to read inside the building.

A source says the local management had written many times to the Punjab Library Foundation and thePublic Libraries Punjab director general for a 40-50KV generator but to no avail.

Talking to Dawn, chief librarian Muhammad Tariq says lacl< of developmental funds is probably the reason behind non-approval of funds for power bacl
The foundation stone for Jinnah Library was laid on March 1,1987, and it became operational on Feb 7, 1991.

It was established on 24-kanal land with 10-kanal cover area.The two-storey building consists of readers` sections, two main halls, children and female section and staffrooms located within three kanal. It has more than 45,000 books and 7,000 members.