SUKKUR: As many as 103 feeders of Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) tripped and stopped supplying power to designated areas immediately after the city witnessed the first light rainfall of winter at 10am on Tuesday.

People faced great inconvenience in carrying out their routine chores in the absence of power supply, which was finally restored in the evening just a few hours before the markets’ closure time.

A spokesman for Sepco confirmed the electricity supply through 103 feeders of 11kV supplying power to Sukkur, Shahdadkot, Qambar, Garhi Yaseen, Naudero, Larkana, SITE, Naseerabad had come to a halt after the rain.

Shopkeepers were seen sitting idle at their workplaces in the absence of buyers who preferred to remain indoors due to sudden rise in cold after rain and suspension of electricity.

They complained that electricity supply often remained suspended for several hours a day throughout the year at the pretext of repair and maintenance of transmission lines but this light rainfall, which led to power suspension for many hours had exposed the Sepco performance. What would have happened if it had rained heavily when the system could not withstand even this light rain, they asked.

They demanded the prime minister, federal minister for water and power and other authorities concerned take notice of poor state of affairs at Sepco and intervene to ensure uninterrupted power supply to consumers.

Meanwhile, the first rain of winter in Sukkur city, Rohri, Salehpat, Kandhra, Sangrar, Ali Wahan, Arore, Bachal Shah Miani, Bagerji, Tamachani and surrounding areas has turned the weather chillier with cold winds blowing from Iran through Balochistan.

DADU: It rained lightly in Gorakh Hills and its surrounding hills of Karo Kot, Karo Jabal, Kafir Kot, Mail Gaj and Sado Bado of Khirthar range, turning the coldest region of the province even chillier. Showers also hit Mehar, Johi, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Wahi Pandhi.

The hill resort’s director general Shahzaman Khuhro, who was also deputy commissioner of Dadu, said that work continued on clearing all roads leading to the hill station of mudslides. The light showers had made the atmosphere even more attractive for tourists, he said.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: The winter’s first rain landed in Naushahro Feroze, Moro, Mithiani, Tharoshah, Darbelo, Kandiaro, Halani, Kotri Kabir, Mehrabpur, Lakha Road, Padidan, Darya Khan Marri and other parts of the district on Tuesday.

The continuous drizzle till late in the evening had turned the weather very cold but growers were happy as the rain at this time of the year was beneficial for wheat and other crops.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2020