KARACHI, Aug 10: Power supply in many localities remained erratic on Tuesday, as consumers of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation said their complaints often went unattended.

Calling from Federal B Area, Block 14, a consumer told Dawn that his locality had faced a prolonged power breakdown in the early hours of Tuesday. "When our power supply was restored in the morning after such a prolonged shutdown, we thought that we would be able to get some sleep.

Our hopes, however, were dashed when we had another spell of a long power breakdown which lasted for more than four hours," he said.

Another KESC consumer calling from Defence, Phase IV, said her locality had been facing power breakdowns at night for the past three days. "The KESC seems to be oblivious to the fact that children have to go to school in the morning. They (children) cannot concentrate on their studies at school if they do not get a good sleep."

Sources in the KESC said that a large number of complaints were received from North Nazimabad, Block L, where some KESC equipment had become faulty. A consumer from the same locality also told Dawn that his locality had experienced a prolonged power breakdown on Tuesday.

"Isn't it strange that we have a power breakdown almost everyday? One can understand that there is some fault with the KESC equipment, but how long will they take to repair it?" he wondered.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 14, also experienced some power breakdowns. Concerned KESC consumers told Dawn they had done without electricity for a couple of hours on Tuesday evening.

Another locality that experienced a couple of power breakdowns on Tuesday was Kharadar where, according to KESC officials, some enraged youths came to the complaint centre and warned that they would take matters into their own hands if the power utility did not ensure uninterrupted power supply to their locality.

NEW METERS: A resident of Garden East said that electricity bills had gone up since power meters were replaced in her colony. She said added that electricity bills of all households in the colony have gone up, fuelling suspicion that there was something wrong with meters.