KARACHI, Aug 18: The supply of power to many areas of the metropolis, which was suspended on Thursday evening when the city received one of the heaviest showers, could not be restored even after the lapse of 24 hours till Wednesday night.

A large number of people calling from different localities said they had learnt to live with the fact that power supply in the city could remain suspended during the heavy rains but there was no reason that the supply should not be restored even on the next day.

They also criticised the power utility for its ill-maintained distribution network owing to which a number of Karachiites had been electrocuted during the last few days. They demanded that the distribution network should be upgraded so that no more precious lives were lost. They also said that the German chief of the KESC should thank his luck that he was working in Pakistan. “Had he been in his country, he would have faced the music if so many people had died of electrocution,” remarked the furious consumers.

Calling from Garden East, Tauqeer and Tanveer said that the area being supplied power from the Prince Aly Substation had been affected since Thursday afternoon. The power went off at 5.30pm and only one phase with very low voltage came at 2.30am. The power was again suspended at 5am and it had not been restored till 10pm.

Iqbal Shaikh calling from Teen Talwar said that his area had been without power since Thursday evening when the rain started. The power went off at 5pm and had not yet been restored till Friday 9pm, he added.

Mohammad Idrees, a resident of Kharadar, said that the power supply to his area was disrupted at 4pm on Thursday and came back at 3am. Then again, he added, it went off at 5pm and came at 10pm on Friday.

A resident of Defence Phase-VIII, Mrs Asad Mirza said that her area had been facing continuous power disruptions for the past many days. “The supply was disrupted as soon as the rain started and resumed on Friday,” she said.

Mukhtar Ahmad of Sadiqabad, Sector 11 ½ Orangi Town, said that their area PMT located near APWA school had developed some fault. For the last 18 days, the KESC failed to rectify the fault and restore the power supply.

Mrs Mansoor of Defence Phase-VI complained that a construction company had its office in Phase-VIII which was being supplied power from their PMT owing to which their area was facing continued power disruptions.

In Gulistan-i-Jauhar, the supply of electricity was suspended on Thursday midnight, it was restored in the morning only for a couple of hours, complained Farman Ali, a resident of Block-17. Similarly, Jamshed Alam from Block-20 said that since Thursday’s rain the power supply had been suspended three times for two hours each.

A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block-4, Sajjid Mansoor said that his area was without power supply from 2am to 6pm.

F.B` Area’s Block-16 was without electric supply for the last couple of days, said an area resident. He said that the supply remained disrupted throughout the night. “It comes only for a few minutes after every two or three hours,” he said adding that people here had spent sleepless night owing to the power failures.

Complaints of power loadshedding were also received from Ahsanabad, Super Highway. An area resident, Dr Ainuddin from Maymar Ahsan Bungalows, said that the locality had been experiencing 18-hour-long loadshedding daily for the past three weeks. Area people said that despite repeated requests the KESC staff was not doing anything to improve the system and provide regular power supply. They pointed out that at least three people had been electrocuted in his area since July 31.

Omair Hasan from North Karachi said that the power supply to his area was suspended from 7am to 8pm on Friday.

A resident of Nazimabad No 4, Rashid Mobin, said that his area was without electricity from 7pm to 2am on Thursday night.

Bashir Ahmad from Defence Phase-II said that his area experienced power hour-long loadshedding daily.

Complaints about power failures were also received from Baldia Town, Regal Chowk, North Karachi, Lucky Star, Malir, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Jamshed Quarters and Soldier Bazaar.