KARACHI, June 24: As the heatwave continued to grip the city for a third day on Saturday, a large number of people could not sleep during the night on Friday owing to frequent power breakdowns, and their misery continue into Saturday.
The maximum temperature on Saturday was recorded at 41.6 degrees Celsius and humidity remained 33 per cent. The increase in temperature increased the demand for electricity and the gap between demand and supply was about 300mw owing to which the KESC resorted to loadshedding.
Cursing the KESC for its poor performance, callers said if a proper loadshedding schedule was announced in advance, they could plan their chores accordingly. They also said that when the electricity supply was on, either the voltage dropped or there was fluctuation.
Consumers said usually power supply remained off for three to four times daily for 90 minutes to over a couple of hours. So in a day there was no power supply for around five to eight hours, which if spread over a month would become between five to six days. They said that when the bills arrived, the KESC charged the line/meter rent for the entire month, so they had to pay the meter/line rent for those days also when the KESC did not supply electricity.
Some of the callers said that owing to the KESC’s failure they had even purchased the UPSs, but then the power supply was not sufficient even to charge the UPSs. Some people had purchased generators, but owing to the ever-increasing fuel cost they could not use them as frequently as power supply went off.
Rejecting the KESC’s claim that power consumption had increased because of hot weather, many callers said that in summer the KESC would say the consumption had increased, while in the rainy season the blame for power disruptions was put on rains, and in the winter it was passed onto moisture, but it would not accept that it was not able to perform its duties.
Akhtar-ul-Hassan from Block 12, Federal B Area, said his area was without power supply from 11pm to 1am on Friday night, then from 2pm to 3pm and then again from 5pm to 8pm.
Calling from Bath Island, Mohammad Ali said his area remained without power supply for one to two hours three to four times a day.
Mohammad Tahir from Block T, North Nazimabad, said his area was without power supply from 7pm to 9pm and from 11pm to 1am on Friday night, and then from 5am to 7am and again from 11am to 1.30pm.
Speaking from Burnes Road, Abdul Wahab said his locality was without power supply from 11pm to 2am and then again from 3pm to 8pm.
Hamid Khan from Mahmoodabad No 6 said his area was without power supply from 10pm to 2am and then again from 10am to 12noon.
A housewife, Shamsa Ali, from Shah Faisal Colony said her area was without power supply from 2.30pm to 5pm. Iqbal Abbasi from DHA Phase V said power supply to his area remained suspended from four to five times a day as a matter of routine. The KESC phone numbers remained ever-busy suggesting that either the number of callers was very high or the staff just kept the phone off the hook.
An electricity consumer in Block 11, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Mohammad Faisal said his area was without power supply from 11am to 3pm and then again from 3pm to 8pm.
Mohammad Farooq from Block 13 D–2, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, said his area was without power supply from 9pm to midnight last night and then from 6am to 9am on Saturday.
Speaking from Fida Hussain Shekha Road, Lyari, Muzaffar Baloch said his area was without power supply from 11am to 2pm.
Raza Ali from Block 14, Gulshan-i-Iqbal said his area was without power supply from 12.30am to 2am on Friday night, and then from 10am to 1pm and then again from 3pm to 7pm.
Mohammad Khan from DHA Phase V Extension said his area was without power supply from 9pm to midnight and then from 10am to 1pm.
Abrar Hussain from Journalists Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, said his area was without power supply from 6am to 8am, from 9am to 11am and from 3pm to 6pm.
Sarah Ahmad from Block 2, PECHS, said power supply to her area was disrupted from 11.30pm to 1am and from 11am to 3pm.
Tufail Ahmed from Edward Street, Garden East, said his area was without power supply from 8am to 10.30am and the from 7.30pm to 10pm.
A caller from Soldiers Bazar No 1, Usman Bhai said his area was without power supply from 11am to 12noon, and then from 2pm to 5pm.
Mohammad Imran from Gulberg, Federal B Area, said his area was without power supply from 1am to 3am and then from 3am to 5am.
Shahida Bibi from Shah Faisal Colony No 3 said that her area was without power supply from 10pm to 1am, 2.30am to 6am, and 7pm to 9pm. Musa Khan from Orangi Town said his area was without power supply from 8am to 10am, and then from 1pm to 5pm.
Mohammad Shamim from Bahadurabad said his area was without power supply from 12.30pm to 4pm.
Akber Baloch from Kalakot, Lyari, said his area was without power supply from 8am to 12noon.
Ghulam Rahim from Block 2, Clifton, said his area was without power supply from 11.30pm to 1am, from 4am to 5.30am, and from 3pm to 7pm.
Responding to Dawn’s queries, the KESC spokesperson said the KESC faced a shortage of around 300mw as the supply was around 1,900mw and the demand was around 2,200mw, and loadshedding of around two hours was carried out. The city was divided into four zones, and a two-hour loadshedding was carried out on a rotational basis. He said the industrial area which consumed around a 1,000mw was exempted from loadshedding.
