Protest after one more transformer falls in Hyderabad

Published September 1, 2021
PANICKED onlookers gather at the site after the PMT falls off its jumper at Badin stop in Hyderabad on Tuesday.—PPI
PANICKED onlookers gather at the site after the PMT falls off its jumper at Badin stop in Hyderabad on Tuesday.—PPI

HYDERABAD: One more pole-mounted transformer (PMT) fell in Hali Road area on Tuesday.

However, no loss of life or injury was reported. Residents of the area blocked the road near the general bus stand in protest against the incident.

The transformer of Al Aziz Colony fell from the pole and oil started leaking from it. It caused panic among the residents. Luckily, no one was present under the PMT when it fell.

Electricity, however, remained suspended as wires got disconnected.

Angry residents gathered in the area later and staged a protest at bus stand against the Hali Road subdivision staff of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco). They blocked the road in protest and raised slogans against Hesco.

Meanwhile, residents of Seroghat area protested for one hour against the suspension of power supply.

They alleged that the Hesco staff usually removed supply links from the transformer and then connected it after several hours, leaving people to face the prolonged power outages.

Later some senior citizens intervened and persuaded residents to end the protest.

On Aug 9, a transformer fell near Faqir Ka Pir, but luckily no loss of life or injury was reported in that incident. Then on Aug 27, another transformer fell from the pole in Unit 5 of Latifabad, causing injuries to two persons.

It seems as if Hesco remains least concerned about these incidents even after tragedies like July 22 of Akbari Mosque and June 18 of Islamabad Mohalla area. Total 13 persons have lost their lives in two incidents due to blasts in transformers.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2021

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