KARACHI, May 9: The transmission and distribution system of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation broke down in many localities as the ongoing heat wave intensified on Monday. Calling from different areas of the city, KESC consumers complained that the power utility failed to ensure uninterrupted power supply despite the fact that it had more electricity now at its disposal than it previously had.

The KESC has been getting an additional 100 megawatts since last Wednesday to overcome the electricity shortage that is blamed for prolonged power cuts in the city.

Calling from Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block 14, a resident said that for the past many days his locality had been experiencing intermittent power failures every day. “These power breakdowns do not follow a schedule. As a result, we are daily caught unawares by such power breakdowns. If the KESC announces a loadshedding schedule, it would make our lives very simple,” he suggested.

A resident of Defence, Phase II, said that his locality had faced a four-hour-long power breakdown the previous day. “Even today power breakdowns continued to occur. When I called the regional complaint centre, a KESC official told me that if I personally came to the centre I might convince some officials to send a team to my area. Otherwise, I would have to wait,” he said.

According to the centralized complaint centre of the KESC, complaints were received from Federal B. Area, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Lyari, Kharadar, Sharfabad, Sindhi Muslim Society, PECHS, North Nazimabad, Korangi and Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

The Minister of State for Water and Power, Engineer Amir Muqam, said that the federal government was closely observing the city power supply situation and sought regular updates from the KESC management.

The minister on a visit to the KESC head office held a detailed meeting with KESC Managing Director Brig Tariq Saddozai and other senior engineers and officers, says a press release issued by the KESC on Monday.

Amir Muqam said that electricity demand of the city increased every year while the utility did not generate as much electricity as required. He conceded that rehabilitating the old power supply network of the KESC while continuing to provide electricity at the same time was a difficult job.

“Work on system improvement started in 2003 and is moving ahead according to the targets set by the government, but the rehabilitation of such magnitude takes some time and with the completion of Hubco-Kesc link in April 2006, there would be no loadshedding due to shortage of generation,” he said.

“Work on establishing 12 new grid stations and on reconditioning of the distribution network is continuing in full swing and according to the schedule it will complete in 2007. This will take care of the overloading of the transmission and distribution network,” he added.

Brig Saddozai said that the KESC had provided various relief packages in payments of outstanding dues, and such relief measures included payments in 30 instalments, reduction of 70 to 20 per cent on overdue amounts of five years to six months in case the consumer was ready to pay the entire due amount lump sum.