KARACHI, March 20: It was yet another unfortunate and worrisome day for domestic as well as commercial and industrial power consumers on Thursday as there were several spells of long and short power outages across the city amid reports of another 10 per cent increase in the power tariff.

Those who had got the UPS installed after last year’s power breakdown were also suffering because the load-shedding hardly gives them the time to recharge the batteries of the alternative source of energy.

Sources in the KESC said that unspecified “under frequency” on the national grid and the closure of Unit 6 of the Bin Qasim Power Plant since Wednesday evening compelled the utility to go for the prolonged load-shedding.

As the mercury rose to 37.3 degrees Celsius, the utility faced a shortage of over 400 megawatts despite receiving 100 megawatts from Wapda. The Unit 6 was closed for maintenance at a time when it was generating 170 megawatts. It would not be back at least for three days, the sources said, indicating that Unit 1 was already down for repairs and would remain off until next month.

The power crisis may intensify in the coming months as the 220-megawatt combined cycle power plant at Korangi Thermal Power Plant is not expected to be activated soon.

On June 16, 2007 when the foundation stone of the project, first in 11 years, was laid by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Karachiites were informed by the privatised KESC that four gas turbines and one combined cycle unit would produce 220 megawatts. Recently, the KESC CEO had said that two of these turbines would be on line “in a few weeks… probably next month.” But there is still skepticism.