LARKANA, May 20: When Larkana sizzled at 47 degree Celsius on Monday, unannounced and selective load-shedding worsened the life of people.

Sources in Sukkur Electricity Power Supply Company (SEPCO) said routine load-shedding of two hours after every fourth hour was controlled from Power Distribution Centre (PDC) Sukkur while another form of power outage branded as ‘forced load shedding’ was being observed when main transformers at three grid stations 132 KV (two grid stations) and one that of 66 KV supplying Larkana city and its adjoining areas were overloaded.

When city’s feeders are on, the regional control centre (RCC) at Jamshoro directs duty officers at 132 KV grid station situated on the Larkana-Ratodero road to open the breaker known as LKN-2. With this entire 132 KV gird station called Larkana site grid situated trips, rendering three feeders of Larkana city i.e., those of Attatruk, Muradwahan and Allahabad, without electricity.

Thus, people have to bear the burnt of ‘routine and forced load shedding’ simultaneously. When the entire city remains lit, these three feeders go without electricity.

When Larkana circle SEPCO Superintendent Engineer Ghulam Haider Mirani was contacted to know about the ‘selective’ and almost double load-shedding on three feeders, he said he would convey the matter to the chief executive of SEPCO.

Hafiz Suleman Shaikh president Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) told ‘Dawn’: “We are bearing 16 hours-long power outage when Larkana and its adjoining areas were burning in high temperature. He said the industry, particularly rice and flour mills, suffered the most during the load-shedding which in turn cast drastic impact on the economy and daily wagers.

MITHI: Load-shedding of 16 to 18 hours daily and fluctuation of voltage in the intense hot summer has badly affected the business activities and routine life, giving an alarming rise to unemployment in district.

Talking to this reporter on Monday, residents of Tharparkar, Ganesh, Ramzan, Ghulam Hussain, Vikram and various other colonies of Mithi town pointed out that they were supplied canal water through water supply scheme. But it had not been supplied for the last one month by the municipal administration, they said, adding that they were running from pillar to post for fetching potable water.

They were also deprived of untreated water that was supplied to them on alternate day, they said.

In reply to a Dawn’s query, an official of the municipal administration alleged that as the timings of load-shedding in Naokot and Mithi were not same and the Hesco was carrying out load-shedding of longer durations, tanks of water storage were not filled to the capacity to ensure regular supply of water to the citizens.

A visit to a number of chakis (small flour mills) revealed that scores of daily wage earners, who used to earn their livelihood by working at these chakis, have been deprived of their jobs because of long-hours load-shedding.

Many tailors and washer men were also sitting idle waiting for power supply to resume their activities.The worst sufferers in this situation are patients.