DADU, Sept 5: Delay in replacement of 160MW transformer of Dadu grid station with a capacity of 500KV continues to play prank with the daily activities of the residents of 800 villages of Dadu, Jamshoro, Naushahro Feroze, Nawabshah, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Larkana districts. The transformer was damaged on the 25th of the last month due to some technical fault and the National Transmission and Dispatch Company was assigned to remove the fault at the earliest.

Many villages in Johi, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Dadu talukas are facing electricity shortage because of it.

Owners of atta chakkis complain of low voltage while other industries are completely without any power thus bringing to halt all activities.

The transformer was overloaded and began fluctuating due to some problem in internal wiring, said Resident Engineer of 500KV grid station, Dadu, Faizullah Shaikh. The winding too was damaged.

A six-member team of experts from Lahore had suggested replacement of transformer which would take at least 15 days, he said.

Superintendent Engineer Dadu circle Syed Mohammad Abbas Shah told this correspondent that he had asked the NTDC to immediately replace the damaged transformer.

Power supply to Dadu, Naushahro Feroze districts had been completely suspended while many parts of Qambar-Shahdadkot, Larkana, Jamshoro, and Nawabshah districts were also facing supply difficulties.

However, arrangements had been made for alternate supply from Sukkur, Hyderabad and Jamshoro grid stations, he said. He rebuffed the report that Sepco had disconnected electricity supply to villages.

Deputy Commercial Manager Sepco, Malik Aftab said that the supply to Dadu from Jamshoro had been decreased to 116KV from 132KV because of line losses on account of long distance. Ultimately, domestic consumers were receiving 160V to 170V instead of 210V, he said.

An atta chakki owner Sikandar Lakhair who used to grind 1,000 maunds of wheat daily was now achieving a very low capacity because of low voltage.

|However, low voltage and fluctuation had become a blessing in disguise for shop owner Shahmir Khan because of hike in sale of bulbs, tube-lights and televisions. He was reported to have sold 300 tube-lights and 1,000 bulbs in five days against the regular sale of 50 bulbs and 60 tube-lights in 25 days.

Similarly, electrician Kalimaullah too, is awfully busy after August 25, in repairing television sets and other electrical appliances as these had become victim to low voltage and fluctuation. Previously, he used to repair one set in a week but consumers have brought 25 TV sets, 12 irons and 15 washing machines to his shop in five days. Sale of generators and UPS had also increased after the power crisis, said Ghulam Haider Shaikh who was now selling some five to six UPS and 12 to 14 generators daily as against two UPS and two generators in a week.