SWABI: Local residents flock to the banks of the Indus River and other canals here to escape excessive loadshedding in the sizzling weather.

Zahir Khan of Maneri Bala village told Dawn the excessive loadshedding forced him to come to the Indus River along with his family, covering a distance of about 26 kilometers.

Ishfaq Khan, another visitor, said his family would stay near the river till dusk to pass the fasting time in the river`s cool breeze.

The visitors criticised the government for failing to end the loadshedding in the sizzling heat. `As those at the helm of affairs do not experience power outages, they take no interest in making serious efforts to increase the electricity generation to end loadshedding in the country,` Abid Khan of Karnal Sher Kili observed. He said only the poor suffered prolonged powers outages.

`The Indus River and its canals are a big source of relief for poor people in harsh fasting days,` Mohammad Tariq of Baja village said.

An elderly woman, who was enjoying the cool wind of the Indus, told this correspondent: `I am here for the first time, came with my son and daughter. It is quite amazing to pass fasting time here.

Pehur High Level Canal is another spot thronged by the people not only from the surrounding villages but also from Mardan district. People prefer to reach here afternoon and stay till evening. The trees lining the canal`s banks provide solace to the visitors.

The Gohati canal is another spot where people come in numbers to beat the heat.

`Thought the government has failed to provide us relief we get natural relief in shape of rivers and canals,` Jehanzeb Khan of Paladand village noted.Correspondent