Hyderabad – The city, Sindh’s second-largest urban center, is in the grip of a severe power crisis as faulty transformers and extended blackouts leave thousands without electricity and, as a result, without water.
Anger boiled over across multiple neighborhoods, where residents staged protests against the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), demanding urgent action to restore power.
In Kacha Qila’s Mumtaz Colony, the situation turned desperate after five consecutive days without electricity. Frustrated locals, including women and children, blocked Qazi Abdul Qayyum Road by forming a human chain. The protest disrupted traffic until police intervened and assured that the faulty transformer would be replaced by night, after which demonstrators dispersed.
Elsewhere, in Sarfaraz Colony, residents staged a sit-in on Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar Road (popularly known as Raheem Shopping Center Road) after a two-day outage. Large numbers of women joined the protest, which triggered long traffic jams. Demonstrators vowed not to leave until senior HESCO officials arrived personally to address the crisis.
Similar scenes were witnessed near Naseem Nagar Chowk, where residents set fire to debris and blocked the road outside Naseem Shopping Center. The demonstration, led by community members including Ghulam Rasool Shah, Ashraf Mirjat, and Ali Haider Magsi, drew attention to what they called “unjustified” power cuts lasting two days despite repeated visits to HESCO offices.
In Latifabad Unit 11’s Quaid-e-Azam Colony, people have been living without electricity for two days, as the faulty transformer still hangs uselessly on poles. In Baban Shah and GOR colonies, supply briefly returned after repairs but failed again within an hour when one phase tripped. Meanwhile, in Rizvi Sub-Division’s Unit 7 (Mazar wali gali), a transformer has been out of service for nearly a week. In Pritabad Sub-Division, residents say a 100 kV transformer removed 15 days ago has yet to be reinstalled.
Although power was restored in Unit 10 after eight days, the Faiz Ahmed Faiz transformer near Imam Bargah Hussaini is now delivering dangerously low voltage, creating new problems for households.
Residents across the city have warned authorities that if electricity is not restored swiftly, they will escalate their protests to the National Highway, effectively bringing traffic to a standstill.
