KARACHI, May 23: A power-generating unit in the Korangi Thermal Power Station, which stopped working on Monday morning, could not be repaired on Tuesday, forcing the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation to resort to load shedding on a rotational basis across the city.

A spokesman for the KESC said the work to repair the power generating unit was in progress and it would possibly be repaired by Wednesday. He said the power demand on Tuesday evening was 2,146 megawatts and the available power was 1,996 megawatts. The 150mw power shortage was met through power load shedding on a rotational basis after the city was divided into four groups. The span of load shedding was not more than one and a half hours, he added.

He said during daytime, the KESC did not resort to power load shedding and no major breakdown occurred on Wednesday. He said some complaints about localized faults were received, which were repaired and power supply was restored.

However, people disputed the KESC claim saying that they suffered prolonged power breakdowns in their localities.

Shahid Saeed from Phase IV in Defence Housing Authority said intermitted power breakdowns with intervals continued throughout the day and his locality remained without power for a total of seven to eight hours. He asked the KESC authorities if they would taken any measures to improve the system.

Fareed from Sector 15/A-5 in Buffer Zone said that power supply remained suspended in the afternoon for three to four hours while people in his locality spent a sleepless night between Monday and Tuesday.

A resident form Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block-17, said power supply was discontinued to his locality for two hours in the morning and it again it went off for two hours in the evening.

A consumer, Asad Raza Zaidi, from Soni Chalet Bungalows in Scheme-33 said power supply was suspended at around 1pm and it was restored at 5pm.

An irate consumer from Sector 11-A in North Karachi said power supply was suspended thrice for an hour in the daytime. At around 5pm, a wire snapped and the KESC officials took four hours to repair it. He asked the authorities if it would take so long to repair a snapped wire. He said he dialled 118 and 134 , the 118 remained busy and 134 was never attended. He said the people's representatives in the assemblies, who could help solve problems, might have never suffered power load shedding and they might not know about the pain people of Karachi suffered everyday due to prolonged power failures.

WATER SHORTAGE: There are reports that several parts of the city are either without water due to interruption in power supply.