11 September 2004	Saturday	25 Rajab 1425

KARACHI, Sept 10: At least half of the city lost its electricity supply on Friday evening as the main extra high tension line of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation from the Bin Qasim power station broke down.

Panic gripped the city as soon as the massive power breakdown occurred and residents feared that terrorists had struck on the eve of the anniversary of 9/11. However, KESC officials made it clear that sabotage was not responsible for the power cut.

A spokesman for the KESC said that at present the city was facing a power shortage of 1,000 megawatts. "At the moment, the city is receiving electricity from the Water and Power Development Authority, independent power producers and KESC gas turbines. The electricity supply from the Bin Qasim power station is cut off," he said.

He said that KESC engineers were restoring power supply to the affected localities one by one. He added that after carrying out the rehabilitation process, the engineers would figure out why the main Bin Qasim line broke down.

Almost all the localities of defunct South and East districts, even the major hospitals in these areas, remained without electricity for some hours on Friday evening.

Residents calling from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, a few blocks of Federal B Area, Model Colony, Malir, Landhi, Quaidabad, PECHS, Sindhi Muslim Society, Garden East, Soldier Bazaar, Clifton, Defence, and Drigh Road told Dawn that their areas had been without electricity.

A very angry citizen called from Phase-IV of Defence to express displeasure over the performance of the KESC. "The area complaint centre told me that a massive power breakdown had occurred. When I asked him why we have a power breakdown on a daily basis, he had no answer to my question," he said.

A former employee of the KESC, residing in Block-6 of the PECHS, told Dawn that in the past concern had been expressed about the vulnerability of the main extra high tension line from the Bin Qasim power station and the Korangi West grid.

"KESC engineers always feared that if a fault occurred in this line, the entire Bin Qasim power station would be cut off. But, I suppose, no action was taken to either reinforce the line or maintain it in a proper manner afterwards," he said.

A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal's Block-4/A told Dawn at 10.30pm that his locality had been without electricity since 8.30 in the morning. Another resident of the same locality alleged that the reason for the major power breakdown on Friday evening was that all sources of electricity were providing power to the Expo Centre, where an exhibition of weapons would get under way on Monday.

A resident of Clifton's Block-4 said that her children were disturbed about the power breakdown. "I called the regional complaint centre where officials said that the power supply would be restored by 9pm. It is 9.30pm at the moment, and we have no idea when the power supply will be restored," she said.

Another resident of the same locality said that there were rumours about a terrorist activity responsible for power failure. The power breakdown not only brought miseries to households but the commercial and business activities were also badly affected. Besides, massive traffic jams were witnessed throughout the city due to non-operative traffic signals, adds PPI.

It may be mentioned here that four out of the five electricity generating units at Bin Qasim station went out of order causing the blackout. However, the electricity to some of the areas was restored at 10pm.