Load-shedding adds to residents’ woes

Hesco carrying out up to 20 hours of load-shedding.

HYDERABAD/ KARACHI: As power distribution companies continued to enforce crippling power outages, residents and traders took to the streets in several cities on Tuesday.

They staged protests by blocking highways, staging sit-ins and holding demonstrations against the water and power minister, Abid Sher Ali, as well as the power utilities.

In Karachi, the most affected areas included Surjani Town Khuda Ki Basti, North Karachi, Abdullah College, Banaras, Nusrat Bhutto Colony, Moosa Colony, Baldia, Hijrat Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Ziaul Haq Colony and Gharibabad.

The K-electric spokesperson said that the load-shedding was being conducted according to their schedule. "We have not changed our scheduled but overloading, line faults and tripping may prolong the duration of power outages in some areas."

Upper Sindh

The mercury ranged between 41 to 45 degree celsius in the districts of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Bhanbhore divisions, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Adding to the residents' miseries, Hesco is carrying out up to 20 hours of load-shedding in the areas where the electricity feeders report 20% or less recovery of bills. The 410-feeder network in the Hesco region comprises 12 districts, divided into three operation circles.

The company's public relations officer, Sadiq Kubar, told The Express Tribune that the power utility has devised a load-shedding schedule based on the percentage of recovery from a given feeder. "The areas with 50% or more recovery will face around eight hours of power suspension while 16 to 20 hours daily closure will be carried out in areas with 40% to 20% recovery."

Protests also erupted in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Thatta, Sajjawal, Benazirabad and other districts. The residents of almost all the urban and semi-urban towns in the three divisions, which are supplied water through pipelines, complained of shortage.

Hesco's commercial director Mehmood Qaimkhani said the company's accruing arrears have made its operations difficult. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2014.