Cold spell fails to curb power outages

Fans, air conditioners shut, but 10-14 hour load shedding persists

HYDERABAD:

Despite a sustained cold spell, residents of Hyderabad continue to suffer from severe, both scheduled and unscheduled, power outages that have badly disrupted daily life.

old weather persisted across Hyderabad and surrounding areas on Wednesday. Icy winds blowing from the southwest strengthened their grip, leading to a gradual drop in temperatures. The Pakistan Meteorological Department said the minimum temperature recorded on Wednesday was 11°C, while humidity levels stood at around 45% in the evening. The weather is expected to remain cold and dry over the next few days, with light morning fog forecast in nearby areas.

However, despite the colder conditions, the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) has made no reduction in load-shedding hours. Under Hesco's system, power cuts of eight to 10 hours continue in urban areas, while rural localities face outages lasting up to 14 hours a day.

Residents also complained that feeders declared "load-shedding free" are frequently shut down for several hours under the pretext of faults.