Power woes: Sukkur residents brave 12 to 18 hours of load-shedding a day

A heavy-duty transformer that exploded last year yet to be repaired

SUKKUR: With the advent of summer, residents of Sukkur face an increase in the hours of load-shedding as power outages last from 12 to 18 hours a day.

Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) officials say that power suspension is a result of overloading, which has been a problem since a heavy-duty transformer at the Site grid station exploded last year. It had developed a major fault in the month of August. After seven months, it was sent to Lahore for reclamation.

Due to this transformer's explosion, 12 to 18 hours of power outages prevail contrary to the announced duration of eight hours. The worst affected areas are those that receive electricity from different feeders of the Site grid station including the Jeay Shah feeder, Shalimar feeder, Royal Road feeder, Qureshi Road feeder and Jinnah Chowk feeder.

Requesting anonymity, an official at the Old Sukkur subdivision said that the long power outages are aimed at covering line losses incurred due to immense power theft. He further said that only 10 per cent of the people steal power on their own, while the remaining 90 per cent are facilitated by the Sepco officials in exchange of bribes. According to him, areas getting electricity from the different feeders of the Site grid station are facing more load-shedding due to the overload on the two other transformers.

Sepco public relations officer Noor Ahmed Soomro confirmed the long hours of load-shedding in areas getting electricity through the Site grid station.

Talking about the faulty transformer, he said that it has been sent for reclamation and he hoped it will be reinstalled at the Site grid station within a couple of days.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2015.