KARACHI, July 1: Many areas of the city remained without electricity on Sunday night and Monday.

Calling from Defence, North Karachi, Malir, Landhi, Gulistan- i-Jauhar, Federal B Area, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Nazimabad, New Karachi, North Nazimabad and Korangi, residents said they had had intermittent power breakdowns.

A housewife calling Dawn from a bungalow in Federal B Area, Block 10, said electric supply under low voltage was a regular feature in her area, especially during the ongoing heatwave. “Foodstuff goes bad early in summer. I cannot keep my refrigerator on because the voltage keeps fluctuating, which is bad for electrical appliances. What is the point in having these consumer goods if one cannot use them because of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation?”

A resident of North Nazimabad, Block L, said his locality had faced two power breakdowns between three o’clock the previous night and morning.

Calling from PECHS, Block 6, a resident said he wondered why all the phones at the centralized complaint centre, better known as 118, were engaged at all times. “How many telephone lines do they have at 118. I have been reading in the press that a lot of people find 118 numbers engaged all the time. Can’t the KESC add a few telephone lines in view of so many complaints?”

A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 4A, told Dawn that his locality had faced a couple of breakdowns since morning.

A resident of Buffer Zone, 15-A1, said his locality had lost electricity at around 1pm.

Kashif Saeed, a student, said that every day his locality — Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 16 — faced prolonged power shutdowns. “It is cruel on the part of the KESC not to announce a loadshedding schedule if it must deprive city areas of power supply. I am one of those people who cannot sleep if the fan is not working. When I do not get the required hours of sleep, I become restless, unable to concentrate and study. The very idea that I am not able to study unnerves me very much.”

A resident of Clifton, Block 4, said the previous night they had experienced a power shutdown from 8pm to 2am. “We tried to contact the complaint centre of our area, but telephones at the complaint centre were either engaged all the time or were not answered,” she said.

Another resident of the same locality said they had been facing a water shortage because of prolonged power shutdowns. “Whenever there is a power cut, we cannot use our water motor. This naturally creates a water shortage.”

A resident of Gharibabad, Federal B Area, told Dawn that his locality had faced the first power cut in the early hours of Sunday. “Our power supply went off after Zuhar prayers. We had lunch in sweltering heat.”