KARACHI, Nov 6: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation on Thursday said it was maintaining normal power supply to the city, but there were reports of power breakdowns in many localities.
Power consumers calling from different localities of the city said their complaint centres had told them that unannounced loadshedding was being conducted by the KESC.
However, a press release issued by the power utility on Thursday said that “loadshedding is not being carried out”.
Calling from Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 17, a consumer said his locality had experienced power breakdowns first in the early hours of Thursday and then in the afternoon. “When I called my complaint centre, I was told that there was some problem in high-tension lines which were being repaired. When I asked them when the power supply would be resumed, the telephone attendant at the complaint centre said he had no idea. The power supply was finally restored early in the morning.”
Another resident of the same locality but another block (Block 17-A) said his area had experienced many brief power breakdowns on Thursday. He added that power breakdowns ranged from 15 minutes to 25 minutes.
A resident of Soldier Bazaar, Shah Nawaz Road, said that his locality had been without electricity since 6.30pm. “Soldier Bazaar is a congested locality and people find their homes stuffy. When they have a power breakdown, they usually come out of their homes and sit on roads.”
Other areas which suffered power breakdowns on Thursday included Korangi, Defence, Clifton, KDA Scheme 1, Federal B Area, Landhi and PECHS.
KESC VERSION: The power utility was maintaining normal power supply to the city and in case of any sudden breakdown KESC engineers and staff, who are on duty 24 hours a day, respond speedily and restore the power supply and repair the fault, a KESC spokesman said here on Thursday.
He said the current city power demand ranged from1750 to 1800 megawatts daily. “During Ramzan power consumption takes a sudden jump after sunset due to extra use at shopping centres and religious congregations. Electricity is being supplied to major mosques during Taraveeh prayers. Loadshedding is not being carried out,” he said.
He said that during the last week power interruptions of 60 to 90 minutes had been experienced in parts of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Liaquatabad, Orangi, Baldia, SITE and North Karachi due to snapping or tripping of high tension lines. ”Repair of a major underground cable or hightension lines takes about six to eight hours but the KESC staff immediately restores supply to the affected area through other sources during the repair of the main line. Therefore, the power shutdown periods of affected areas is when the changeover is taking place or due to capacity constrains of the alternative source the supply needs to be regulated.”
He said that currently the level of power failure complaints at the 64 KESC centres had remained at the lower ebb. “Per centre ratio of total complaints being received by KESC during 24 hours is ranging to a maximum of 40-50 complaints per centre which are attended speedily,” he said.
