KARACHI, May 8: People suffered power breakdowns on Sunday night and on Monday afternoon as KESC resorted to unannounced loadshedding after its one of the six power-generating units at Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station broke down, causing a shortfall of 200 megawatts.
Residents of Defence Housing Authority, Federal B Area, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Kharadar, Old Area, Soldier Bazaar, and North Nazimabad, Shadman Town and Malir complained of prolonged power breakdowns, which caused miseries to thousands.
On Monday, people from various localities complained of power failures. The worst hit area was Shadman Town where electricity went off at 3:30pm and it was not restored by 9:30pm.
Residents of Phase IV, V and VI of the DHA complained about prolonged power cuts, and stated that they made frantic calls to the complaint centres, but there was no response from the centres. In Phase IV, at least four breakdowns occurred on Monday which caused problems.
The entire area of Block 14/A, Shadman Town, remained without electricity for several hours after it was suspended at 3pm. The power supply was not restored till our going to the press. Power breakdowns have become routine in this locality, and the area remains without electricity for four to five hours daily.
Similarly in Block-14/B, Shadman Town, power supply was disrupted at 3:30pm and was restored for 15 minutes at 6:30pm. The power supply again went off at 6.45 pm and was not restored till late last night. A resident of the locality said long-drawn-out power breakdowns were causing sufferings to people, especially during nights. He said:“People cannot sleep well during night due to intermittent power failures and they do not get up fresh which causes a bad effect on their performance at work.”
Mohsin Zaidi, another resident of Block-14/B in Shadman Town, said the electricity breakdowns caused water shortage in his locality.
Similarly, residents of Malir’s Saudia Colony and several other adjoining localities in Sector H and G near Dakhkhana (Malir Extension) stated they suffered breakdowns on Monday, and on a previous night.
There was a power cut 10.30pm on Sunday and the electricity was restored after over 12 hours on Monday at 11am. Another breakdown occurred at 1.30pm and the supply was restored at 2.30pm. Yet another breakdown occurred at 3.15pm and the supply was restored at 5pm. The fourth breakdown occurred at 11.30pm on Monday and the supply was not restored till our going to press. No KESC official was available for comments. Area people said they faced water shortage after disruption in electricity, and children preparing for their examinations suffered the most.
Similarly, North Nazimabad’s various sectors remained without electricity for several hours. Complaints of power disruptions were received from Block H, I, J and Blocks F and G where people suffered prolonged power breakdowns, and suffered water shortage as well.
A resident of Block H stated that the first power breakdown occurred early in the morning at 5.30am. The electricity was restored this time after two hours at 7.30 am, and the second breakdown occurred at 2.15 pm and the supply was restored at 4pm. Yet another power disruption occurred at 10.30pm. This time electricity was not restored till 11.30pm.
Mustafa from Banglore Town stated that the water and power minister had assured the people of smooth supply of electricity, but none of the day passes without power loadshedding. He said the residents were fed up with the grim situation of power supply. He claimed that the Wapda had not been cooperating with the KESC in supplying power. He appealed to the president and the prime minister to take notice of the situation and take measures to resolve the problem of Karachiites. Tufail from Garden East complained about power disruptions in Edward Street, Manikjee Street and Vines Street.
In Block-N, North Nazimabad, Ibne Hasan said power supply was disconnected by the power utility for the fifth time on Monday to his locality.
Aleem Qureshi from Block-7 in Federal B Area said that one-and-a-half hour power breakdown took place in his locality in the afternoon. The power was again switched off at 7pm. Similar, complaints were received from F. B Area Block 11 where residents said that the KESC staff was not cooperating with area people and creating problems for them.
Another resident of Block-17 said the power supply was suspended at 3:30pm and was restored at 5:30pm. It again went off at 7pm and was restored at 8:30pm.
Similar complaints have been received from Kharadar, Mithdar, Landhi, Orangi Town, Korangi, New Karachi, Pak Colony and other areas.
However, a KESC spokesman said that the corporation was facing power shortage of 200mw due to compulsory shutdown of one of six power generating units in Bin Qasim for immediate repair of the leaking hydrogen gas cooling system of the turbine. He said the unit repair work would be completed by midnight and it would be functional on Tuesday.
He said during the day, city power demand was 2,112mw and the shortage of 200mw was managed through two-hour rotational group-wise loadshedding in residential and commercial areas. At night from 7pm until midnight, the KESC resorted to power loadshedding of one-and-a-half hours. He said that the KESC regretted inconvenience caused to consumers.
The weak power generating units in Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station have tripped frequently for the last four months after a pause of few days. Two power generating units of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation ceased to work on April 4 creating a the shortage of 225 megawatts in the city and forcing the power utility to resort to loadshedding in various localities on rotation. Power breakdowns continued to persist on April 2 in various localities as the thermal power unit in Bin Qasim was closed down for maintenance causing the shortage of 200mw power supply to the metropolis. A major portion of the city was deprived of the electricity supply on April 25, twice in the morning and at night after one of the main circuits of the power utility near Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station had tripped. The next day on April 26, the extra high tension line of 220KV carrying power from Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station snapped, which was repaired the next day at around 9:30pm and it again snapped at 10pm on April 27.Earlier on Feb 27, KESC shut one of its power generating units down in Bin Qasim for maintenance and started carrying out loadshedding for an hour on rotation basis after dividing the city into four zones.
