KARACHI, Aug 12: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation failed to provide uninterrupted power supply to a considerably large number of consumers while the weather remained pleasant almost throughout the day on Monday.
A resident calling from Defence Housing Authority, Phase VI, told Dawn that their power supply had been disconnected at 5am. “I lodged a number of complaints with the KESC centre and a telephone attendant told me that my electric supply would be restored within half an hour. My electric supply was finally restored at around 4pm.”
Calling from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 5, a resident said at 7.30pm that there had been no electricity at her place since 1pm. “What is one supposed to do if one finds that phones at 118 are engaged all the time? Nobody answers the phones at my complaint centre. I find it hard to believe that in these modern times the KESC has failed to design a transmission and distribution system which could guarantee an uninterrupted supply of electricity.”
One very angry Naeem Sadiq called from Defence, Phase 4, and said he wanted to protest the high-handedness of the KESC staff in the strongest possible words. “Nobody at the KESC seems to be bothered about the fact that prolonged power breakdowns cost the country a lot of revenue.”
A resident of Buffer Zone, 15-A1, said his locality had lost electricity at 2pm. “When I called my complaint centre a telephone attendant told me that he had no specific information about the nature of the power breakdown in my locality. He added that if it was the tripping of the feeder it would take at least two to three hours but if it was a transformer fault it would be rectified in about 45 minutes.”
A resident of Landhi informed Dawn that a large number of Kundas (illegal connections) caused power breakdowns in his area. He said he had no idea why the KESC did nothing to remove the illegal power connections and provide new connections. He said a political party in his locality had connected kundas to its office but the KESC seemed powerless to take action against them.
A resident of Bhittai Colony near Korangi Crossing said that as far as the power breakdowns were concerned, Monday was one of the worst days of the season. He added that on Monday power supply deserted him five times.
Rehan Saeed, a resident of North Nazimabad, Block A, said his locality had experienced a three-hour power cut on Monday. “When I called my complaint centre I was told that loadshedding was on. When I told the telephone attendant that the KESC had announced that it was observing no loadshedding schedule, he said he was not aware of that.”
DISCONNECTION DRIVE: The KESC on Monday announced to launch a disconnection drive, spanning over four months, against wilful defaulters from Aug 15, during which 1,75,000 electricity connections would be severed, adds PPI.
A decision to this affect was announced by KESC managing- director Brig Tariq Sadozai while presiding over a monthly meeting of zonal managers, executive engineers and billing controllers.
He said the current year’s recovery stood at Rs33.20 billion, while monthly average recovery went up from 91 to 95 per cent.
