August 04, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 19, 1428

NAWABSHAH, Aug 3: Many areas of interior of Sindh continue to face power breakdowns on Friday after a 500kv grid station caught fire in Dadu on Thursday. The unannounced loadshedding continued in more than 20 feeders of Nawabshah. Bandhi, Sakrand, Qazi Ahmed and Daulatpur areas were facing the same situation.

People, including patients in hospitals, businessmen, traders and children suffered continuous power outages.

An official of Nawabshah grid station, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that they simply receive orders from the power distribution centre (PDC) Hyderabad to stop supply after which they have to shut the feeders down which carrying maximum load.

He said the restoration of normal supply to the area may take 2 to 3 days.

KHAIRPUR: Electricity remained suspended in Khairpur city and other talukas on Friday from 9am to 5pm with an hour’s restoration to city for Juma prayers. It caused inconvenience, particularly to patients of Khairpur and Gambat hospitals.

President Shehri Ittehad and Khairpur Abadgar Ittehad, Shakir Ali Shah criticised the supply from Khairpur Grid Station to Moro, Mehrabpur, Kandiaro and other towns by suspending it in Khairpur city. They said citizens of Khairpur were suffering due to alleged inefficiency of Hesco officials.

Meanwhile, a large number of residents of Faiz Ganj Taluka took out a procession and demonstrated outside the Pakka Chang Press Club on Friday to protest against power suspension in their area. They raised slogans against Hesco officials.

Riaz Solangi said electricity was being supplied to Faiz Ganj Taluka from Naushahro Feroze Grid Station but was suspended from 11am Thursday due to fire incident at Dadu Grid Station.

Power was restored to Faiz Ganj Taluka after 30 hours on Friday at about 5pm.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: A group of people of Tharushah, including leaders of the Sindh United Party, observed a token hunger strike outside the local press club on Friday against unannounced load-shedding and issuance of detection and inflated bills by Hesco.