SUKKUR May 4: An eight-hour power breakdown paralyzed life in sub-division 3, 4, and 6 of Sukkur on Saturday.

The people of Barrage Road, Workshop Road, Bunder Road, and Old Sukkur had to face a lot of hardship as the heat was unbearable with the temperature soaring to 40 degree Celsius.

The Wapda officials said that major faults had developed in the City and Site grid stations as a result of which the power supply to half the city had been cut off.

Sources said that the cables of the transformers in the grid stations had burst and the Wapda staff was busy in replacing them.

Meanwhile, talks were held here on Saturday between representatives of the Sukkur Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Hesco officials to discuss the deteriorating position of the power supply in the SITE area.

A press release, issued by the Chamber, said that traders and industrialists were concerned over the indifferent attitude of the Hesco officials, saying that they were issuing detection bills in residential and industrial areas.

Members of the Chamber complained that the power supply was being interrupted in the SITE area many times a day, which affected industrial production besides damaging electrically- operated machinery.

The Chamber informed Hesco executive engineer Shaukat Memon that consumers were suffering due to the apathetic attitude of Hesco officials, who were penalising innocent people by issuing exaggerated detection bills without any justification.