20 June 2004	Sunday	01 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, June 19: Prolonged power failures caused sufferings to people in a number of city localities in this hot weather.

Complaints of power breakdowns were received from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Federal B Area, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Clifton, Buffer Zone, North Karachi, PECHS, Malir and DHA

The residents of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Federal B Area, Gulistan-i- Jauhar expressed their anger over unannounced loadshedding.

A resident of Federal B Area, Block 14, said his locality, apart from some areas of Block 17, faced a power shutdown between 11pm and 2am on Friday night.

He said that an hour after the restoration of electricity, one phase broke down. He contacted his regional complaint centre only to be told that load on that phase had been high, resulting in frequent power shutdowns.

"The KESC staff asked me to use a phase changer and spend the night without bothering about the restoration of the phase, which they said would be done in the morning," he said.

A resident of North Nazimabad, Block L, said there had been a lot of voltage fluctuation in his locality.

He said his cousin, living in Block N, had such an abrupt power shutdown that some appliances in his home broke down.

Complaints of power failures were also received from Defence (Phase VI, Khayaban-i-Muhafiz), Model Colony and Clifton's Block 8.