KARACHI, Oct 19: A large number of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation consumers had to do without electricity on Tuesday as the power utility's claim of providing uninterrupted power supply during Ramazan turned out to be hollow.

An irate resident of Defence, Phase II extension, said that he had heard the minister for water and power saying on a television programme the other day that there would be no loadshedding in Karachi during Ramazan. "The minister also said that the KESC would ensure that no power breakdowns occurred in this holy month. And yet there has been no electricity in my locality since morning. I called the regional complaint centre and told KESC officials there what the minister said. The KESC officials retorted that the minister for power was not aware of the ground reality," he said. The resident said that there was no electricity even during after sunset.

A complainant from Shah Faisal Colony told Dawn that his locality experienced multiple power breakdowns in the early hours of Tuesday. "We had a hard time preparing our Sehri. My mother cooked some food by candlelight. The least that the KESC can do is to ensure that no power breakdown occurs during the Iftar and Sehri time," he observed.

A resident of North Karachi, Sector 11-A, told Dawn that his locality had faced a power shutdown from 4am to 8am on Tuesday. He said that an hour after the restoration of electricity one phase broke down. He said: "I contacted the regional complaint centre only to be told that load on that phase had been high, resulting in frequent power shutdowns. The KESC official at the complaint centre was unable to tell me when the power supply would be resumed," he said.

Complaining from Shadman Town, a consumer told Dawn that he had been without electricity since the Asr prayers. "Regular power breakdowns have once again started to occur. I am not aware of the technicalities involved, but, what I cannot understand is that the KESC staff have no coordination among themselves, as they failed to inform me when the power supply would be resumed," he said.

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 17, said that his locality had faced power breakdowns on Monday too.

KESC sources said that the power breakdowns occurred in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Federal B Area, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Clifton, Buffer Zone, North Karachi, PECHS, Malir and Defence.