May 21, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 15, 1429

KARACHI, May 20: The Karachi Nuclear Power Plant that supplies 80 megawatts to the Karachi Electric Supply Company tripped on Tuesday morning after the breakdown of Baldia-Kanupp circuit of the KESC.

The transmission line fault developed at 10.10am, causing a major shortfall of electricity that forced the utility to extend hours of unscheduled load-shedding in the city.

While KESC officials were tightlipped about the reasons for the circuit breakdown, Kanupp sources said they had been informed by the power utility that the fault would be rectified by Tuesday night. But even then, sources said, it would not be possible for the nuclear power plant to resume generation to its optimum capacity by Wednesday morning.

With the Bin Qasim Power Plant’s Unit No 6 already out of work, the suspension of supply from Kanupp forced the utility to carry out load-shedding of more than 415MW. Power supply was not available to consumers for more than six hours during the day.

Mr Arsalan, a resident of Block 10 of the F.B Area, complained that for more than eight hours there had been no electricity in his locality, while KESC officials were not responding to their calls. Students were facing difficulties in exams preparation, he said, and criticised the KESC for its failure to notify a schedule of load-shedding. People could adjust their activity accordingly if the utility had informed the consumers of the duration of load-shedding, he remarked.

Power complaints also poured in from Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Shah Faisal Colony, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Clifton, North Karachi, Surjani, Lyari, New Karachi and Defence.