KARACHI, June 29: While power breakdowns continued to occur in the city on Sunday, consumers have complained that in addition to this, they have to face the problem of new meters being installed by the power utility these days.

A press release issued by the Defence View Association says that the new KESC meters should be tested by an independent laboratory to verify that the apparatus is not faulty and running fast.

“It has been reported that the new meters being installed by the KESC outside the premises of consumers are fast. This would lead to excess billing. In this situation, it is advisable to get the existing meters checked. This would save the utility a lot of expenditure,” it says.

The press release adds that it has also been reported and observed that the new meters are fast and have not been properly checked. “It looks that unable to remove the illegal power connections from the city, the utility has decided to install those meters which run fast,” it says.

Another press release, issued by the Jamaat-i-Islami, quotes the deputy parliamentary leader of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the Sindh Assembly, Nasrullah Khan, as expressing great concern over the ongoing water and power crises in the city. “Because of the criminal negligence of the KESC and the water board, the people of Karachi have had to endure great sufferings. Both these organizations are accountable to the Sindh governor, who should ask them why they have failed in providing the masses some relief,” the press release says.

Meanwhile, many localities faced intermittent and prolonged power breakdowns on Saturday and Sunday.

A resident of North Nazimabad, Block L, said that his locality had been facing a power shutdown since afternoon because of loadshedding. “Why can’t the KESC announce this in advance?” the consumer said.

Sohail Ahmed, a resident of North Nazimabad, Block A, said that his locality had lost its power supply with the first drop of drizzle. “Just imagine that the transmission and distribution system of the KESC is so fragile that it cannot withstand even a few drops of water. My regional complaint centre told me that there has been a short circuit in the locality.”