KARACHI, June 28: Power failures continued unabated on Friday as the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation trembled at the thought of impending rains.

Calling from Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 16, a resident told Dawn at 6.15pm that there had been no electricity at her place since 2pm. “What is one supposed to do if one finds that phones at 118 are engaged all the time? Nobody answers the phones at my complaint centre. I find it hard to believe that in these modern times the KESC has failed to design a transmission and distribution system which could guarantee an uninterrupted supply of electricity.”

A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 4A, told Dawn that his locality had faced a couple of breakdowns since morning. “On Friday, in the final analysis, we spent more time without electricity than with electricity.”

Latif Mughal, calling from PECHS, Block 6, told Dawn that he was a retired government official and was annoyed at the fact that power shutdowns in the city were so frequent and prolonged. “With such a fragile transmission and distribution system, can we attract investment to the country?” he wondered.

A resident of Buffer Zone, 15-A5, told Dawn that his locality had been without electricity from 12 noon. “When I called my complaint centre, a telephone attendant told me he had no idea when our power supply would be restored.”

A housewife calling Dawn from an apartment complex in Federal B Area, Block 16, said that electric supply under low voltage was a regular occurrence in her area, specially during the ongoing heatwave.

“The low voltage continues throughout the day and only becomes better after Maghreb prayers, which is hard to believe because it should become more burdened in the evening,” she said.

A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 14, said his locality had faced two brief power breakdowns between 4pm and 7pm.