MIRPURKHAS, June 21: Different areas in Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar districts are without power as dozens of electricity poles between Samaro and Kot Ghulam Mohammad have been uprooted in a storm that hit the region a week back.

Hesco has yet not repaired the faulty power lines which has led to widespread protests in the areas. Umerkot, Mithi, Islam Kot, Chhachhro, Diplo, Samaro, Pithoro, Nagarparkar, Naokot and Nabisar grid stations are non-functional.

Villagers have held protest demonstrations in Samaro, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Kunri and Umerkot, demanding that higher authorities should take action against officials involved in delay in restoration of power supply.

Sources said Hesco authorities had restored power supply to some areas from an alternate source but these areas were witnessing load-shedding due to low voltage. The electricity disruption has affected business activities and caused hardships for people. Water supply has also been stopped on account of power shutdown.

A special team of Wapda, comprising Grid service chief Shabbir Ahmad, Hesco chief engineer Shareef Ansari and project director Muneer Shaikh, also visited the site and examined the ongoing repair work.

The team directed the officials to complete the work without delay. A Hesco source said the work would be completed by Monday night after which electricity supply would be restored to the areas.

TASK FORCE: The Sindh government has constituted a task force to take legal action against people involved in water theft. Sources told this correspondent that Asghar Ali Qureshi, circle in charge of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Mirpurkhas, and Naushad Ali Mughal, first judicial magistrate, raided the Jamrao Canal's Doso Distributary and found local bodies' elected representatives, office-bearers of farmers' organizations and influential landlords involved in water theft.