KARACHI, July 31: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation resorted to loadshedding on Wednesday when the Water and Power Development Authority stopped supplying power to the KESC.

A spokesman for the KESC said that the power utility had carried out one-hour loadshedding by rotation from 10am to 2pm when both the Wapda circuits were off due to some technical problems. “At around 2.30pm, one of the circuits started functioning. The KESC then stopped loadshedding. But around 3.25pm, the Wapda circuit tripped again, forcing the KESC to carry out one-hour loadshedding by rotation from 3.25pm to 5.30pm. Then around 9pm, Wapda told the KESC that it could not provide more than 150 megawatts. So the loadshedding will continue till 1am.”

Wapda sources, however, told Dawn that the reason why Wapda was unable to provide power to the KESC was the closure of Hubco network, which had deprived Wapda of 1,200 megawatts.

Because of loadshedding many localities remained without electricity for a long time despite the fact that the weather remained pleasant on Wednesday.

A resident calling from Gulshan-i-Jamal on Rashid Minhas Road said that his locality had experienced at least three breakdowns on Wednesday. “July, which has otherwise been a pleasant month, has seen some very prolonged power breakdowns. When it is very hot, the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation says that feeders trip frequently because of heat. What explanation does the KESC have when it has been pleasant?” he wondered.

Calling from Federal B Area, Block 6, a resident said that earlier in the day they had had a brief but intermittent power breakdown. “Later in the day we lost electricity around 2pm. The power breakdown lasted till at least 5pm.”

A resident of Mohammad Ali Society said his locality had faced a two-hour-long power breakdown in the afternoon.

A resident of Clifton, Block 4, told Dawn she was excessively angry with the press for highlighting the power woes of all areas of Karachi other than Clifton. “My electricity went out at 1pm and when I called my complaint centre I was told that power supply would be restored at around 6pm. Every day we have a power closure for about three hours, but today there seemed to be something terribly wrong with their system,” she said.

A resident of Federal B Area, Block 17, said his locality had faced intermittent power breakdowns throughout the day. The power breakdowns, he added, had been accompanied by fluctuations of voltage.

“If the KESC did not have monopoly over the distribution of power, I would have purchased electricity from any other company,” he said.

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 16-A, said that his locality had faced two prolonged power breakdowns.