LARKANA: Perturbed over suspension of power supply to their households and business places for a week, residents and traders of Nazar Mohallah and Bhains Colony observed a shutdown and took to the streets on Monday, when the mercury shot up to 44 degrees Celsius and they endured a water crisis across their localities.

An angry mob from among the protesters marched up to the office of the Sepco (Sukkur Electric Power Company) Larkana circle superintendent engineer to lodge a protest over closure of a feeder but found no staff present there. The mob realising that the staff had fled the office to escape the wrath of the badly affected water and power consumers went on the rampage after breaking into the locked office.

The mob smashed the windscreens of two cars, damaged six motorcycles parked inside the compound and destroyed the computer section.

The protesters also set a vehicle-mounted generator before police, escorted by Rangers personnel, intervened to extinguish the fire.

A strong contingent of police and Rangers rushed to the scene to bring the situation under control. The police baton-charged the stone-throwing protesters, who included some club-wielding men and women as well as children. Two protesters, Fida Hussain Chahwan and Jawed Ahmed Jokhio, and a Rangers man, Waqar, were injured during the police action.

The two civilian victims were admitted to the Chandka Medical College Hospital and Waqar was taken to the Rangers headquarters for treatment. At least 12 protesters were rounded up and taken to different police stations of the city.

Sepco shut down six feeders a week ago suspending power supply to several thousand consumers saying that the system would be put in operation only after each and every defaulting cons umer of the Larkana circle paid off the electricity dues.

Sepco Larkana circle superintendent engineer Nazeer Soomro, speaking to Dawn , described the mob attack on the office as an unlawful act and said an FIR against mobsters would be lodged.

However, Larkana Deputy Commissioner Ganhwar Ali Leghari said it was unfair to punish the entire population for the default on bills by a few people. He criticised shutting down of feeders on the pretext of default on bills.

Meanwhile, the Wapda Hydroelectric central labour union, condemning the mob attack on Sepco office, gave a strike call for Tuesday, saying that employees of the power utility were unsafe. A spokesman for the union, Khalid Chandio, said workers would register their protest on Tuesday over insecurity at their offices and in the field.

Earlier in the day, several hundred people led by Kashif Umrani and Zubair Tunio gathered at the Jinnahbagh Chowk to condemn Sepco for stopping power supply to consumers for a week.

They said Sepco appeared indifferent to miseries of thousands of people who had been without electricity and water in extremely hot weather conditions.

Khuhro slams Sepco action

Sindh senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has described the closure of electricity feeders and unannounced loadshedding in the province as ‘injustice’.

In a statement e-mailed to Dawn on Monday, he said the Sindh government would lodge protest with the federal government and urged the prime minister to take notice of the unilateral and forced loadshedding of 20 hours a day that had severely disturbed everyday life.

He warned that elected representatives would join in public protests if power supply to the affected areas was not restored.

He alleged that the PML-N was taking revenge from the people of Sindh for not voting for it in the recent general elections.

Hesco strikes at Bhitai shrine

Hyderabad: Hesco authorities disconnected power supply to the shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai for recovery of around Rs10 million from the Auqaf department.

A Hesco spokesman said the dues pertained to two connections at the shrine. He said the supply was restored in the evening after assurance by Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, an adviser to the Sindh chief minister, that the dues would be cleared soon.

Protest in Matli

Badin: A shutter-down was observed in Matli town on Monday against a ‘ruthless’ disconnection drive and an unannounced loadshedding of many hours a day by Hesco.

All bazaars, markets, shops and business and commercial concerns remained closed across the town. Residents of Gharibabad Colony took out a rally and staged a sit-in outside the local press club to condemn the Hesco campaign and increased loadshedding.

They urged the authorities concerned to look into the matter.