KARACHI, Jan 20: Many areas of the city suffered power breakdowns on Sunday as residents of the areas wondered why the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation was resorting to loadshedding even in winter.

People calling from different localities wanted the KESC to explain why it was unable to meet the power requirement of the city in winter when the electricity demand was traditionally low.

Sources told Dawn that the KESC was facing a power shortage of 100-1500 megawatts during evening peak hours from 6pm till midnight because of the closure of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant, restriction of up to 200 megawatts power from the Water and Power Development Authority and the closure of two units at the Bin Qasim power station for maintenance.

On Jan 5 the power utility announced that it had adopted a new strategy to discourage power theft and provide preferential service to good consumers in situations of power shortages and breakdowns.

A spokesman for the KESC had said that after a complete survey of the city distribution network, KESC engineers had identified and listed nearly 70 out of the 781 power supply feeders and 23 out of the 51 grid stations which were supplying power to areas infested with illegal kunda connections. Utility bill payment by registered consumers was also negligible in these areas.

He added that in case the power utility faced difficulty regarding power supply to the city, power shortage would be met by first switching off the identified defaulting areas and if there was a need for curtailing energy supplies further, only then loadshedding would be carried out in the remaining areas.

A resident of Federal B Area, Block 12, told Dawn that he had suffered a two-hour-long power shutdown in the morning, from 9am to 11am. “Then we had another power shutdown in the afternoon, from 1.15pm to 3.30pm. First, my area is not infested with power thieves. And even if it is, why should I be punished for the sins of power thieves. Second, why is the KESC resorting to loadshedding in winter?”

One very irate Saira Ashfaque called from Defence, Phase 5 Extension, Saba Avenue, and said she wanted to protest the high- handedness of the KESC staff in the strongest possible words. She added that she had a power shutdown every day and whenever the KESC staff were told about her problem they wanted to know all over again what her problem was.

A resident of North Nazimabad, Block A, said his locality — apart from Block B — had faced power shutdowns three times during the previous night.