KARACHI, May 9: Power failures continued to plague lives of Karachiites on Thursday as temperature stood at 35 degrees centigrade.

Sources in the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation told Dawn that complaints of power shutdowns had been received from Old Golimar, PECHS, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauher, Pir Illahi Bux Colony, Gharibabad, Federal B Area, Blocks 17, 18, 12, 13, 16 and 17, North Nazimabad and Golimar.

Nawaz Ali, a resident of Old Golimar, said his locality, where no fewer than 6,000 people lived, had been facing a power breakdown since Wednesday morning. “I first called my regional complaint centre at 257-4271. The telephone attendant told me that there was a cable fault in the area which could take more than 24 hours to be removed. He gave me another telephone number. I called the KESC operations department at 661-4185. The person who answered the phone said that cable fault in Old Golimar was not the responsibility of his department. He gave me a contact number. I called a KESC engineer at 453-3045. The engineer was also not able to offer any help.”

Mr Ali added that there were at least four schools in his locality which had been closed since Wednesday. “Today when our children went to their school, they were sent back because there was no electricity in their school. It was our turn to receive water on Wednesday but because of the power failure we were not able to get our water supply.”

A resident of Federal B Area, Block 12, told Dawn his locality was worst hit by power breakdowns. “My two daughters are taking Intermediate examinations these days. In this stifling heat they have to study for hours without electricity. They cannot have proper, peaceful sleep because of power shutdowns.”

Calling from Darul Uloom Amjadia on Alamgir Road in Sharfabad, a person said a large number of devotees had been observing the Urs of Imam Ahmed Raza when they faced a power shutdown. “Every year we observe the Urs without power cuts but this year even mosques have not been spared. A large number of people who had come to observe the Urs were inconvenienced.”

Calling from the Tariq Road market in PECHS, a shopkeeper said that because of power breakdowns their overheads had increased. “In order to provide good service to our clients, we use power generators but we have to spend a lot on them. This reduces our profitability.”