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KARACHI, June 18: The little rain that the city received on Wednesday sent the transmission and distribution of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation reeling, with as many as 80 feeders breaking down in different localities.
A KESC spokesman claimed that by 8pm the 80 feeders had been normalized. However, residents calling from many localities disputed the spokesman’s claim and said even after the lapse of a couple of hours following the rain, their areas were still without electricity.
The KESC spokesman did not say what happened to those localities where power supply had been restored but voltage fluctuation was there.
A resident of Federal B Area, Block 15, said that due to a minor fault, one phase in the locality near Javed Nihari Restaurant plunged scores of houses into darkness at 2am on Monday.
“Failing to get the fault removed despite making as many as 40 complaints by phone, the affected people visited the complaint centre in Gulberg about six times during the night and every time returned on promise of restoration of electricity ‘in half an hour’”.
He said: “The KESC men, however, attended the complaint at about 1pm on Tuesday. The same phase snapped again in the night. Those who could not sleep whole the night during the previous breakdown due to sultry weather conditions and had to attend to their workplaces, had another sleepless night. Shortly afterwards, another phase snapped and scores of other households plunged into darkness.
A resident of Bhittai Colony called to say that his locality had been experiencing power breakdowns for a long time. “But the KESC seems to be least concerned about the power supply situation in our locality. The people of our locality pay their utility bills regularly. There is no reason why they should not get electricity regularly.”
Gulshan-i-Iqbal was badly affected by the rain-related power breakdowns. An irate resident of Block 11 said there was a breakdown at 7pm and the supply had not been restored till 10pm. He said the telephone number of KESC complaint cell was busy and the complaint cell of his area had not entertained his complaint.
A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 10-A, said power supply had been disconnected in his area from 6.30pm and it was not switched on till the filing of this report.
Another resident of Block-11, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, who was fed up with the KESC, said the power was shut in his area at 5pm on Tuesday and was restored at 2am. It again went on Wednesday evening with the first drop of rain and was not restored till late at night.
A resident called from F. B Area, Block 14, and said that electricity in her locality had left with the first drop of rain. “The telephones of the centralized complaint centre are engaged and when I dial the numbers of localized complaint centre, I get this prerecorded message that the number I have dialled is temporarily disconnected.”
