KARACHI: People react angrily to prolonged power cuts
By Arman Sabir
KARACHI, May 9: People suffered prolonged power failures in various localities on Tuesday as Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation failed to maintain normal supply in a number of city areas.
People staged a protest on M A Jinnah Road against a long-drawn-out power suspension to Gul Centre and its adjoining buildings and the entire locality.
They pelted vehicles with stones to express their anger over poor performance of the power utility, and demanded of the governments in the province and the in the centre to intervene into the matter.
As the main thoroughfare remained blocked for movement of vehicles, the law enforcement agencies reached the spot to control the situation. They dispersed protesters and opened the road for traffic.
The weak and feeble transmission and distribution system of the power utility could not bear the load in various localities and faults developed in the system, and it took hours to restore power supply.
However, a KESC spokesman claimed that there was no loadshedding on Tuesday as the demand of 2,100 megawatts was met. He said the power supply from Wapda to Karachi remained between 580 and 600 megawatts, more than the mutually agreed supply of 550mw.
About power failures in many areas, he said localized faults were rectified and power supply was restored accordingly.
Citizens, in general, disputed the KESC claim, asking how could a localized fault develop almost daily at a specific time. From Orangi Town's Sector 1, Adil said: "In my area, power supply remains suspended for one hour daily at 9pm. How could a localized fault develop daily at 9pm and it is exactly rectified in an hour."
People said the KESC authorities were shifting blames and were not taking the responsibility of improving their system.
Shehla Fateh from Jamshed Quarters said her family was fed up of intermittent and prolonged power failures. She said if the electricity problem remains persistent, students would not be able to prepare for their examinations, so their exams be postponed. She said that prolonged power failures create water shortage also. Old and sick people face hardships in the absence of power in the hot and humid weather.
Mrs Merchant phoned from Radium Apartments on 165-Supariwala Street (Garden East) and stated that power supply was discontinued at 11:15am and was not restored till late night. She said whenever a call was made to the complaint centre concerned, the staff fails to give a satisfactory reply. In the evening, the staff told her that the power would be restored within half an hour as a PMT was being replaced with a new one. She said that the adjacent building was being demolished and she cannot open doors and windows due to dust as builders have not taken measures to keep the environment clean.
"In the hot weather and in the absence of power, we cannot open our windows and one can imagine how the life has become difficult for residents of this building", she added.
Yawar Ali from Dhorajee Society said a power failure occurred in his locality at 3:30pm and the supply was not restored by 8:30pm. The same situation was witnessed on Monday and the KESC staff did not given a satisfactory reason.
Ali Gohar from Shalimar Shopping Centre on Tariq Road said the power supply was suspended at 1pm and it was not restored by 9:30pm. The power supply to other centres, including Dubai Centre, Mateen Centre, was also suspended and the people and shopkeepers of the entire affected locality were extremely irritated on the performance of the KESC.
KARACHI, May 9: People suffered prolonged power failures in various localities on Tuesday as Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation failed to maintain normal supply in a number of city areas.
