KARACHI: People suffer as city govt, KESC refuse to cooperate
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 6: Common citizens suffer as the city government and the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation refuse to play ball with each other over the proper running and maintenance of streetlights.
Well-placed sources told Dawn on Sunday that the city government failed to pay electricity dues to the power utility on time despite the fact that it received a government grant in this head.
Calling from different localities, people often inform Dawn that the streetlights in their areas remain off at night and sometimes remain on during the day.
“Till late last month, the city government owed Rs400 million to the KESC because it had made no payment from June 2002. This is unacceptable to a power utility which is itself in the red,” the sources said.
They recalled that in July last year it had been decided that in consultation with the city government, the KESC would be responsible for switching on and switching off the streetlights of the city.
The sources said that the timely switching and maintenance of streetlights — all types of lights installed for illumination of roads, streets, lanes, parks, playgrounds and other common places which were not controlled by any individual meter — was the responsibility of the power utility. They added that the city government was supposed to make available the physical infrastructure at its own expense.
“The KESC is responsible for the switching and maintenance of the following types of the streetlights: those installed with low-tension distribution mains of the power utility, those installed at poles erected by civic agencies, those installed privately by different non-governmental organizations and social committees. It also looks after all those types of neon signs and advertising boards associated with streetlight mains.”
KESC officials explain that the city government does not stand completely relieved of the responsibility. “If a bulb goes off or a wire is burnt out, the city government will have to step in. The KESC only ensures that all streetlights remain in a working condition.”
They point out that previously people rightly complained that the streetlights used to remain on even in daytime, resulting in great power loss. “Besides, a large number of streetlights used to remain on the blink most of the time, inconveniencing people a lot.”
According to a KESC plan, a supervisor streetlight of the area is responsible for the timely switching of all the streetlights in his area of jurisdiction.
“He is also responsible for reporting and getting rectified a fault in the circuit through the resources of his composite complaint centre. An electrical supervisor or sub-engineer who is on duty on evening and night shifts at the composite complaint centre is responsible for confirmation of switching of the streetlights in the area. He is also responsible for getting the faults removed from the streetlight circuits which are pointed out by the supervisor streetlight. The zonal manager is responsible for the efficient implementation of the policy.”
