DADU, April 24: The unannounced nine to 10 hours of load-shedding is affecting surgeries in the Civil Hospital and supply of water all over Dadu.

Doctors, patients, and people accuse Hesco officials of illegally supplying electricity to factories and influential people in disregard to common man.

They appealed to the federal minister for water and power to direct Hesco chief to take action against its officials and ensure uninterrupted power supply.

A Hesco spokesman said the company was facing shortage of about 200-300 megawatt for which feeder-wise load management scheduled had been undertaken.

According to survey conducted on Thursday by this correspondent, Medical Superintendent of the Civil Hospital Dr Toufeeq Memon complained that unscheduled load-shedding was seriously hampering operations in five theatres, and in the OPDs. He said it was dangerous and risky to perform surgeries with the aid of generator. He said serious patients were facing great difficulties due to power shutdowns. He requested the Superintending Engineer Hesco Dadu Circle to end load-shedding in hospital area and provide parallel connection from other feeder to face emergency but nothing done so far.

General Surgeon, Civil Hospital Dr Mohammad Qasim said operations were being postponed daily for want of electricity as it was not possible for doctors to continue surgeries without power while lives of patients were being put at stake.

District President Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghulam Shah Malkani said nine to 10 hours of load-shedding was seriously affecting business activities in Shahi Bazar, Station Road, Rai Bazar, Katchery Road, and other shopping and trade centre.

General Secretary, Flour Mills and Atta Chakkis Association Sikandar Hussain Lakhiar said flour mills and chakki owners were suffering losses and had stopped grinding wheat due to load-shedding.

A citizen, Ahmed Khan said when mercury was at 45 degrees centigrade, Hesco began load management system for nine to 10 hours which was also affecting water supply. He said the lives of people had become miserable but no one was paying attention to resolve their problems.

He alleged that on the one hand uninterrupted power supply was continuing to factories and influential people while on the other, Hesco officials to cover the line losses were carrying out load-shedding.

Hesco spokesman, Mohammad Sadiq told Dawn the company was facing 200-300 megawatt power shortage and was carrying out load-shedding for one hour at one feeder. He said officials had been directed to stop power supply only for three hours at one feeder and if it exceeded action will be taken against the responsible official.

He said Director Hesco Operation was personally monitoring the load-shedding and added clear directives had been issued to officials for uninterrupted power supply to hospitals and water supply schemes through parallel system.

He said Hesco had started drive through local cable systems for energy conservation and added its officials were advising the people to save energy. He said officials had met Chamber of Commerce and Industry people for their cooperation.

RALLY: Residents of Kehar Colony took out a protest rally in Sehwan on Wednesday night against Hesco for not replacing burnt transformer. Angry protestors burnt tyres.

Akbar Katohar said a transformer was burnt some seven days ago but Hesco officials did not pay heed to their complaint. He said residents of the area were facing hardship due to non-replacement of transformer.

Our Shikarpur correspondent adds: Shopkeepers and people took out a rally and staged demonstration against unannounced load-shedding for eight to 10 hours daily in Garhi Yasin town on Thursday.