KARACHI, June 12: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation failed to provide uninterrupted power supply to its consumers despite the fact that temperature went down by at least four degrees centigrade on Saturday.

Calling from Shadman Town, Sector 14-B, at around 6pm, a resident said that his locality had been without electricity since 2pm. "I have been trying to lodge a complaint with the localized KESC centre, but nobody is answering the phone (9246121). Isn't it strange that the KESC cannot depute one person to attend to consumers' complaints? The centralized complaint centre of the KESC remains so inundated with calls that their number (118) is engaged at all times," he said.

Calling from Shah Faisal Colony, a resident said that four lanes in his locality were without electricity because of some localized fault. He said: "One can understand that there is some emergency and the KESC is trying to restore power to our locality. But what one cannot understand is the rude manner in which the KESC staff speak to those who call in to lodge their complaints," he said.

A resident of Defence, Phase V, said the previous night they had experienced a power shutdown from 7pm to 2am. "We tried to contact the complaint centre of our area, but telephones at the complaint centre were either engaged all the time or were not answered. They cannot understand the whole process of calling your complaint centre is so frustrating," she said.

Calling from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 4, a woman said it was beyond her while the KESC had so far evolved not a mechanism to carry out power shutdowns in a systematic manner. "I often read in the papers that there is a shortage of electricity and which is why the KESC has to carry out loadshedding. In this case, the KESC can easily figure out which areas will remain without electricity for some time. And this schedule can be announced in advance," she said.

Residents from Liaquatabad confirmed that the power breakdown that occurred around 10am continued into night. "And there is no chance that the supply will be restored anytime during the night," said a caller from B-1 Area.