KARACHI, June 26: People living in various parts of the city lost patience on Monday after suffering from prolonged power failures and unannounced loadshedding, and protested in front of KESC complaint centres, but power disruptions continued partly due to breakage of a high tension line.
The nature, however, showed further mercy at Karachiites as mercury further dropped by over 2.7 degrees Celsius from Sunday’s 38.2, with the humidity also increasing by 10 per cent.
The maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 35.5 degrees Celsius and humidity was 67 per cent.
A majority of people said shutdowns of over an hour for five to six times day had now become routine, and whenever power supply was restored, their appliances did not work owing to low voltage.
Many people said owing to power crisis, they had purchased UPS, but even these could not provide relief. Many others who had purchased generators said they thought they would have to operate generators for a brief period, but as there were prolonged shutdowns, they could not afford to operate generators owing to ever increasing fuel cost.Hot wards were exchanged between people and KESC staff at different KESC complaints centres, particularly in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Malir, Korangi, Landhi etc., where people had gathered to register their complaints and were not happy with the explanations being extended to them. Scuffles also reportedly took place at some places.
Shahzeb Raza from Block 16 A, Gulistan-i-Jauher said power supply remained suspended in his area from 11.30pm to 12.30am last night, and then from 10.45 am to 1.15pm, 4.40pm to 5.40pm and then from 8pm to 10pm.
A resident of Block 17, Federal B Area, Mohammad Khubaib, said his area remained without power supply between 2.30am to 5am and then between 1pm and 2pm. Musa Baloch from Baghdadi, Lyari said there was no power supply in his locality between 11am and 4pm.
Uzma Siddiqui, calling from Khayaban-i-Bahria, Phase VIII, said power supply to her area remained suspended for an hour three to four times a day. Rafiq Ahmed from Block 15, Gulistan-i-Jauher said there was no electricity in his locality between 9am and 11am, 2pm and 4pm, 5pm and 6pm and then between 7pm and 10pm. Adil Mahmood from Bhittai Colony said his area remained without power supply from 9pm to 11pm last night and then from 10am to noon.
Calling from Block 16-A, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Dr Salma said her area remained without power between 3am and 7am. It followed four to five more breakdowns of one hour each. Mohyuddin from North Nazimabad said Blocks I, J and K were without power supply from 7pm.
Imtiaz Chandio from Khadda Market, DHA, said power supply remained disrupted in his area from 3pm to 6pm and then from 7pm to 11pm. Nasir Dahlvi from Block 12, Federal B Area said his area remained without power supply from midnight to 3am, from 11am to 1pm and then from 2pm to 3pm. Tufail Ahmed from Garden East said there was a breakdown in his area from 11am to 5pm.
Responding to Dawn queries, a KESC spokesperson said a 132 KV high tension line broke down near Quaidabad bridge in the morning which put additional load on the high tension circuits, and installations in Gulshan, Baldia, Gizri, Queens Road became overloaded and grid stations of F B Ara, Gulistan-i-Jauher, Orangi, North Karachi, Malir, Gizri, Queens Road, and a shut down of one hour had to be resorted to cool down the system.
BILAWAL HOUSE: A Bilawal House statement said entire computer network of the Bilawal House collapsed owing to frequent shutdowns and loadshedding. It said like other areas of the city, power supply remained disrupted for approximately 10 to 12 hours. Despite many requests to the KESC, the issue had not been resolved.
