KARACHI: Consumers complain of prolonged power cuts
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, July 4: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation remained tight-lipped about the reasons for the prolonged power breakdowns which continued to occur on Thursday night and Friday.
A man calling from Federal B Area, Block 12, said that his locality had experienced a power breakdown at ten o’clock the previous night. “We drove to the KESC complaint centre in our locality to lodge a complaint.
“We were told that the power supply would be restored at around midnight. But it was actually restored at around 2.30am. It is strange that the estimate of the KESC staff about the duration of the power breakdown was so off the mark.”
Another consumer of Federal B Area, this time Block 20, told Dawn that his locality had experienced prolonged power breakdowns the previous night. “Our area residents lodged many complaints about the power breakdown, but the KESC staff fixed the fault only when it was convenient for them,” he said.
A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 14, said that his locality had been in the grip of intermittent power breakdowns for quite some time. “Even last night we faced a prolonged power breakdown.
“On Friday another spell of a power cut made our lives miserable. We usually have a round of power breakdowns after sundown when the overall consumption of power increases,” he said.
A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 13-D-2, said that she was terrified at an announcement placed by the KESC in the newspapers according to which there would be a maintenance shutdown on Saturday. “Some time back the KESC had announced a maintenance breakdown for a couple of hours on a Sunday. This soon turned into a nightmare with the power shutdown lasting for hours on end.
“We lodged one complaint after another with the regional complaint centre but were told that since it was a maintenance shutdown it would last as long as the system was not properly overhauled. If this was the case, they should have announced a longer maintenance shutdown. I hope this maintenance shutdown observes timing.”
Calling from Orangi Town, Sector 11-1/2, a consumer told Dawn that his locality had faced a prolonged power breakdown in the early hours of Friday. “When our power supply was restored in the morning after such a prolonged shutdown, we assumed that our miseries were over and we would be able to catch up on our sleep.
“Our hopes, however, turned out to be short-lived, for we had another spell of a power breakdown which lasted for a couple of hours,” he said while narrating his ordeal.
