KARACHI, Sept 2: Many areas of the city remained without electricity on Monday as the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation carried out unannounced loadshedding.

High-ranking KESC officials told Dawn on Monday that the power utility was so dependent on the Water and Power Development Authority that the moment it received less power than it needed it had to carry out loadshedding.

They added that many a time this period of unannounced loadshedding was brief.

Meanwhile, consumers calling from different localities of the city told Dawn that their localities had been without electricity especially in the early hours of Monday.

Kazim Malik, a resident of North Karachi, Sector 11-A, opposite Sanober Cottages, said that he had been awakened by a sudden power breakdown the previous night. “I cannot sleep without electricity. I opened the window of my house and realized that the entire area was plunged into darkness. Our power supply was restored at around 8 o’clock in the morning.”

Mr Malik observed that he failed to sleep throughout the power breakdown. “The KESC should carry out a study to find out how a power breakdown, particularly at night, adversely affects the performance of a person at work.”

Sajjad Ahmed, Anis Ahmed, Naveed Ahmed, Chaudhry Arif and Nadeem Ahmed called from 29th commercial street, Tauheed Commercial Area, Phase V extension, to say that since the city received rains last Monday, the power supply to their area has been erratic.

“On the day it rained in Karachi our power supply was switched off at 6pm. It was restored at 4pm on Tuesday evening. Today our power supply was switched off in the early hours. It has yet to come back,” they added.

Wasif Ahmed, a resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, said that his locality experienced power shutdowns almost every day. “The KESC complaint centre of my area said that loadshedding was being carried out to meet the power shortage created by Wapda’s refusal to provide electricity. When I called 118 they said that there was some cable fault in my area.”

A resident of Shah Faisal Colony said the previous night they had experienced a power shutdown from 8pm to 1am. “We tried to contact the complaint centre of our area, but telephones at the complaint centre were either busy all the time or were not answered,” he said.

A resident of Saddar told Dawn that his area had faced multiple but brief power shutdowns on Monday.

A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 6, told Dawn his locality also faced power shutdowns the previous night. “My regional complaint centre tells me that power closures occur due to overloading. If that is the case, they should check it and do something about it. How long will we have to face power shutdowns for no fault of ours?” he wondered.

Traffic signals: The unscheduled loadshedding in the city hampering water supply and causing inconveniences to the public also creates chaos on almost all the thoroughfares, adds APP.

Abrupt shutdowns of signal lights due to the intermittent power cuts and absence of enough number of traffic cops to man the heavy flow of traffic are feared to result in heavy loss of lives and property.

The most severe situation can be noticed on the M. A. Jinnah Road and from Empress Market to Sharah-i-Liaquat artery, the major routes for public transport buses and wagons.

Drivers of almost all modes of public transport vehicles, who otherwise too have a little consideration for traffic rules, in the absence of signal rights are actually having a field day.

Besides, release of fumes in the already polluted environment is feared to increase vulnerability of the people to air and noise-induced ailments.

The commuters, with a little chance to get down from vehicles or embark on buses due to reckless attitude of the drivers, are also feared to meet any accident. Skirmishes among drives and passengers have emerged to be a common phenomenon.

According to the traffic police, about 25,000 cops are deployed in different parts of the city, which according to the authorities is inadequate even in normal circumstances to meet the growing traffic load.