May 23, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429

KARACHI, May 22: Electricity consumers suffered long spells of load-shedding in their localities on Thursday as the Karachi Electric Supply Company faced a record shortfall of 567 megawatts during the evening peak hours.

Almost every locality of the metropolis experienced about 10 to 12 hours of load-shedding during the day and at night.

One of the six power generating units of Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station ceased to function after developing a fault, causing an acute shortage of around 180MW. The KESC was already facing a shortfall of 80MW as power supply from the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant had been suspended after a breakdown of the Baldia-Kanupp circuit.Sources in the KESC told Dawn that till afternoon the utility was facing a shortage of 200MW and was carrying out group-wise load-shedding for two hours.

However, the situation worsened with a rise in temperature and due to the tripping of Unit 3 of the BQTPS.

They said that there was no other option but to extend the duration of load-shedding to bridge the demand and supply gap. They said that an increase in power consumption in the city was the prime reason behind the shortfall of 567MW due to which 10 to 12 hours of load-shedding was carried out on Thursday instead of routine four to six hours of power shutdowns.

Residents of Federal B Area, North Karachi, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Defence Housing Authority, Clifton, Garden, Lines Area, Lyari, New Karachi, PECHS, Orangi Town, Liaquatabad, Baldia Town and other areas faced hardship and agony due to the power breakdowns, which continued intermittently till late in the night.

A resident of Federal B Area Block 15 said that his locality experienced four spells of load-shedding on a daily basis.

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar Block 16 said that by 6pm his area had experienced three rounds of load-shedding.

However, students appearing in intermediate examination became the ultimate sufferers due to the continuing power load-shedding. They were taking their exams in the absence of electricity at their respective examination centres, and also nightlong power outages affected their studies.

However, a spokesman for the KESC claimed that there was a shortfall of around 250MW due to which the power utility carried out a total of four hours of load-shedding in the residential and commercial areas of the city on Thursday.

He said the overall power demand stood at 2,300MW on Thursday against the supply of 2,150MW.He said that all units of the Bin Qasim power station were functioning normally and producing electricity ranging from 1,100 MW to 1,150MW. He said power supply from Kanupp would be restored by May 25.

The spokesman said that at present load-shedding was being carried out only in residential and commercial areas and uninterrupted electricity was being supplied to the industrial areas, major hospitals and other important installations.