April 01, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 23, 1429

LARKANA, March 31: Unscheduled load-shedding on regular basis has not only disturbed routine life but is also affecting trade activities in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.

The daily practice of power shutdown ranges between eight to 10 hours in Qambar-Shahdadkot district where Hyderabad Electric Power Supply Company (Hesco) supplies power hardly for more than three hours after every two hours of shutdown.

Sources say that hundreds of villages getting supply from main grid are the worst effected.

Multiplication of mosquito population in remote areas poses malaria risk. Villages in both districts are facing the threat of outbreak of malaria say sources. So now the population is trapped between the sea and hard rock.

Reports from Shahdadkot say that after every two hours power is suspended which affects the life. Shahdadkot which already faces the problem of sub-soil sweet water is braving another situation of round-the-clock operations of sweet water tubewells.

In Warah Town locals told Dawn that they face eight to nine hours of power shutdown regularly and confirmed swarming of mosquitoes in the town and adjoining areas.

An unfortunate situation is the absence of alternate power arrangement at Mohenjodaro where the practice of two hours supply with another two to three hours blackout is going unabated. Power regularly goes off from 9pm to 11pm and from 2am to 3am and so on during 24 hours.

Regular disruptions at the site are serious threat to artifacts kept in the museum, as in the past due to insufficient light arrangements seals were stolen.

Situation in Mirokhan, Badah town, Ratodero, Naudero are no different. The irregular power supply is affecting educational institutions and offices which are computerized.Hesco officials have installed ‘de-fittings’ which serve as disconnecting points to particular parts of Larkana city. This is a ploy through which they cut supply to area of their choice and upon query describe it a ‘fault’.

The summer in Larkana is very hot and stuffy as temperature regularly touches 50 degree Celsius in peck season while Hesco has already begun the practice of switching off power at intervals.

The sources in Hesco said the officers concerned are out to save ‘units’ under the cover of load-shedding where sufferers are the honest consumers using energy meters.