KARACHI, July 5: Many more areas of the city suffered prolonged power breakdowns on Friday as the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation remained tight-lipped about the reason for frequent electricity shutdowns.

Calling from different localities, residents told Dawn on Friday that power supply had betrayed them more than once and for long periods.

An indignant resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 13D-2, said that her family’s ordeal began early on Friday morning when her locality lost two out of the three power phases. “Till noon, we had only one phase of electricity. Then, at noon, we lost all the three phases. We have now been without electricity for more than ten hours.

“Because of such a prolonged power breakdown, we have no water as well. You can imagine how bad one feels when there is no water at home when Friday prayers have to be offered.

“When we called up the KESC complaint centre of our area, the telephone attendant said that power supply would be restored shortly. It is beyond me why they lie when they themselves do not know when the fault will be rectified.”

Rizwan Saeed, a resident of North Karachi, Sector 11-B, told Dawn that his locality experienced a three-hour power cut on Friday.

“When I called up my area complaint centre, I was told that loadshedding was on. When I told the telephone attendant that the KESC had announced that it would observe no loadshedding, he said he was not aware of it.”

A resident of Shah Faisal Colony told Dawn that his locality lost power supply at around 10am and regained it at 2.30pm.

Sohail Khan calling from PECHS, Block 6, at 6.30pm told Dawn that his locality had been without electricity since 3pm.

A caller from Korangi Industrial Area told Dawn that the entire area had been facing intermittent power closures since morning.

A resident of Federal B. Area, Block 18, told Dawn his area had faced three power closures, with each lasting for at least an hour. He added that he called up at 118 three times and was given the same reply every time — that it was a localized fault.

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 18, told Dawn that the block of apartments he lived in had developed some fault. “Some flats have electricity while some don’t,” he said.

A resident of Buffer Zone, 15-A-5, said his locality faced intermittent power shutdowns at least three times a day. “Our regional complaint centre has a standard response to power complaints.

“They say there is cable fault. But neither can a cable fault be removed in 45 minutes to an hour, nor does it occur four times a day. The KESC complaint centres should be truthful about power shutdowns.”

A resident of North Nazimabad, Block A, told Dawn that his locality remained without electricity for more than three hours early in the morning.

“Apart from the major breakdown, we also had brief power cuts lasting five to ten minutes each. Such brief power cuts cannot be power breakdowns because they cannot be removed so soon. They cannot be loadshedding, either.”

Calling from Shadman II, S.M. Tariq Wali said his locality had been in the throes of a power crisis of late. He added that they faced power shutdowns everyday.