LARKANA, May 16: A strike was observed and a procession was taken out in Qambar on Wednesday in protest against unscheduled and prolonged power outages amid rising temperature.

The Citizens Action Committee had given the call for the strike. Its leaders Mohammed Jan Brohi an Abdullah Soomro led the procession which turned into a rally on the Martyrs’ Square where participants burnt tyres.

Carrying placards and banners, the protesters staged a sit-in in front of the grid station on the Qambar-Shahdadkot road, blocking the road for two hours.

They raised slogans against the indifferent attitude of the officials of Sukkur Electric Supply Company and neglect of the Sindh government.

Regular power outages ranging between 14 to 16 hours in the summer had made life miserable, drastically affecting daily wage earners and trade, the protesters’ leaders said. Work in government offices, which has been switched over to computers, has been seriously affected.

Despite heavy loadshedding, Sepco kept on sending inflated bills, he said, adding that low voltage and unprecedented fluctuation were other problems.

They accused Sepco officials of minting money from consumers by allowing them to operate air-conditioners through power theft.

Larkana city is also affected by increased hours of power outages. Reports gathered from different localities indicated that consumers were facing low voltage with frequent fluctuation, inflicting damages to electric appliances.

Selective power loadshedding was reported from different parts. The Jinnahbagh feeder is worst affected because after 9pm this feeder is tripped at 10 to 20 minutes intervals.