KARACHI, June 6: Power breakdown complaints noted by the customer service centres of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation registered a sharp rise on Monday when a punishing heatwave dealt a debilitating blow to the power utility’s transmission and distribution system.

Sources in the KESC said thousands of complaints were lodged by beleaguered consumers who alleged that the power utility was carrying out unannounced loadshedding.

Calling from Federal B Area, Block 14, a KESC consumer said his locality had experienced a 24-hour power breakdown since Sunday morning. He added that his local complaint centre was unable to explain why such a prolonged power breakdown occurred in his area.

Another resident of Federal B Area, Block 7, said his locality had experienced a power breakdown for two hours in the morning. He added that the area was again in the grip of a power breakdown in the evening.

Another resident of Federal B Area, Block 15, said his locality remained without electricity for two hours in the morning. “When I called the localized complaint centre at 9241608, I was told that the KESC was carrying out loadshedding. I wonder why the power utility does not announce a loadshedding schedule in advance,” he said.

A resident of Baghdadi said that lately his locality experienced at least three power breakdowns a day. “Youths in the locality become extremely listless when a prolonged power breakdown in not fixed by the KESC. They might take to the streets one of these days in protest against the inefficiency of the KESC staff at the complaint centre,” he feared.

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 17, said his locality remained without electricity for a couple of hours on Monday morning.

A resident of PECHS, Block 2, said a two-hour power breakdown occurred in his locality the previous night. He added that voltage remained very low even after the resumption of power supply.

Calling from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 4-A (Journalists’ Society), a resident said his locality experienced two power breakdowns on Monday. “First we had a power cut from 2pm to 3.30pm. And then we had another power breakdown from 6pm to 9pm. Many complaints were lodged at the KESC centre, but no effort was made by the KESC staff to fix the fault responsible for the power breakdowns,” he said.

The Karachi Press Club and its adjoining areas remained without electricity for a couple of hours on Monday evening.

A spokesman for the KESC blamed a rise in temperature for the many power breakdowns that occurred on Monday.