The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) has once again initiated the process of cutting off electricity to entire areas by removing link transformers, rather than targeting only defaulting consumers.
Citizens express anguish over prolonged power suspension in different localities. In response to the outages, electricity consumers protested on the Phulaili bridge, blocking traffic by burning tires and erecting barriers.
Meanwhile, two major political parties, MQM and Pakistan Peoples Party, find themselves in opposing positions on the matter, both accusing each other of influencing HESCO's mass disconnections to gain political advantage.
Details reveal that with just 19 days remaining until the 2024 general elections, HESCO has begun disconnecting electricity for entire areas by removing transformer links. This crackdown aims to recover outstanding dues but results in indiscriminate action against entire neighbourhoods, affecting even those who regularly pay bills. Regular consumers face unbearable hardships, while others endure unannounced and prolonged daily load shedding.
Read: Cabinet okays establishment of HESCO
HESCO has also initiated power outages across different areas, attributing them to technical faults, sparking a wave of protests against the power distribution company in the city.
Residents from Rishi Ghat and Noormahal areas near Phulaili took to the streets in protest, burning tires on the bridge, disrupting traffic. The protesters expressed their frustration as the entire area remained in darkness for five days, causing water shortages.
Transformer links near Qadri Jami Masjid in Latifabad Unit No. 4 and Quaid-e-Azam Colony in Latifabad Unit No. 11 were cut due to non-payment, leaving these areas without power for several days.
Amid ongoing electricity load shedding in the Kohisar area, a sudden and complete suspension of electricity at 3 o'clock in the afternoon exacerbated residents' difficulties. Attempts to contact HESCO departments for clarification were unsuccessful.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21th, 2024.
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