HYDERABAD, May 7: Daily unannounced load-shedding in Hyderabad has made lives hell in sizzling heat, forcing Hesco consumers to come on roads and protest the uncalled for miseries. Students are the hardest hit as they can neither study in stifling classrooms nor enjoy slumber during the night.

On the other hand, industrial and commercial activities are slapped by inefficiency for failure to meet export commitments – hats off to chronically inept power utility. What to say of other places when even hospitals are not spared of the routine, deferring emergency operations to the time when power is resumed – a virtual rarity. The civic life has almost come to a standstill with office workers in total disarray.

A Muttahida Qaumi Movement delegation comprising Joint Zonal In-charge Sabir Qureshi, MNAs Syed Tayyab Hussain and Salahuddin, MPA Sohail Yousuf and Akram Adil apprised the Hesco Chief Executive Officer Guftar Ahmed Anjum of the traumatic lives people spend in the absence frequent and long-duration electricity. While meeting him on Wednesday, the delegation member criticized the proportionality of load-shedding with the rising temperatures. The MQM leaders put forward the case of cottage industry wherein people installed power-looms and other units which are virtually useless for want of electricity – people are both psychologically and economically devastated.

The delegation was of the opinion that not a single area is shielded from this predicament as drinking water does not reach to tail-end consumers for days together while the issuance of fake detection bills add to their wounds thus making them vent their ‘power less’ emotions through agitation and protests.

Hesco chief assured the delegation of using his power to mitigate power woes by providing relief through announcing schedule in advance. He pledged to strictly follow the schedule and also to bring an end to the menace of fake detection bills.

However, a day earlier representatives of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry apprised Superintending Engineer Circle-1 of the enormity of the crisis which due to load-shedding has made their trade and business a mere dummy –sans production and failure to catch up with their export commitments. According to MNA Salahuddin agriculture production has been affected to the extent of 70 per cent.

PROTEST: The Sindh University’s staff living in Employees Colony Jamshoro staged a demonstration on Tuesday night with the varsity students protesting on Wednesday against power outages of long duration.