HYDERABAD: Residents of scores of localities took to the streets in protest against 20-hour power breakdowns and loadshedding following acute shortage of water for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.

Belonging to Pathan Colony, Hali Road, Subzi Mandi, Hala Naka, Katcha Qila, Latifabad Unit-10,11 and 12, Kotri road, Pathan Goth, Mir Fateh Colony, Hazara Colony, Auto Bhan road, they came out of their houses, burnt old tyres, blocked vehicular traffic during Sunday night and Monday morning.

Carrying sticks and stones, they shouted slogans against Hesco and Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali. They did not allow any vehicles to run on the roads during the demonstrations.

A resident of Quaid-i-Azam colony Latifabad Unit-11 said the locality was deprived of power for almost three days, but the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) team could not remove the fault while power was not restored to Latifabad Unit-10 for over 15 hours.

Despite prolonged power breakdowns, massive trippings following fluctuations were being witnessed in Hirabad, Pak Colony, Doctor Colony and other areas.

According to a handout, the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) has demanded that the water and power minister impose a state of emergency in Hesco so that precious lives of people could be saved.

HCCI sub-committee for Hesco chairman Abdul Sattar Khan said fears were rising that people could die from sweltering heat at day and during the night without power. He strongly criticised unannounced power loadshedding.

If there would be an emergency in Hesco, all pole-mounted transformers (PMTs) and other technical faults could be removed and repaired forthwith and people could get much relief in this regard.

He demanded that power loadshedding in trade centres be stopped during trade activities. He said power loadshedding was taking place from Maghrib to 3am in industrial areas while Hesco had not issued any schedule in this regard so far.

He appealed to the minister of state for water and power to upgrade the Hyderabad grid station in view of rising population and trade activities. Meanwhile, the Water and Sanitation Agency (wasa) has expressed grave concerns over excessive power outages, unannounced loadshedding, low voltage-cum-tripping and fluctuations.

A handout said Wasa was unable to supply water to consumers for 18 hours out of the 24 hours in all three talukas of Hyderabad district including Hyderabad, Latifabad and Qasimabad which fall under jurisdiction of the agency. It admitted that acute shortage of water was being witnessed in many areas of Hyderabad just because of power failure.

NAB probe urged

Office-bearers of the Hyderabad Development Authority Mehran Workers Union have demanded that the National Accountability Bureau be given the task to probe the Water and Sanitation Agency bailout package of Rs483.77 million so that ‘fake bills’ being submitted by the agency could be detected.

They told a press conference here on Monday that all assets of the managing director be investigated thoroughly and immediately, otherwise the entire package would fall prey to rampant corruption.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2015

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