KARACHI, Aug 26: The fragile and ill-maintained transmission and distribution system of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation collapsed as soon as the city received a few millimetres of rain on Monday.

Callers from nearly all the areas of the city told Dawn that they had lost power supply as soon as the rain started. They said they were particularly vexed to find that their complaint centres offered little information about the nature and duration of power breakdowns. They added that the so-called centralized complaint centre, better known as 118, had been engaged all the time.

The composite complaint centres of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation told irate consumers on Thursday that the power utility had switched off supply to most of its customers as a precautionary measure because of rains.

Officials working at various complaint centres said they made no bones about telling the consumers that they were under orders not to rectify complaints during the rain.

In some localities, while some buildings remained without electricity, others, even adjacent ones, had electricity. A case in point was New Kausar Square in Frere Town which remained without power supply for hours on end while adjacent buildings had electricity.

All top-ranking officials of the KESC, including the managing director, were unavailable for comment. The public relations officer of the power utility had also switched off his mobile.

Calling from North Karachi, Sector 11-A, a resident said his locality was singled out by the KESC for power shutdowns. “Our locality had rain on Sunday evening for a little while, but the power breakdown which coincided with the first drop of rain continued well into the night. Similarly today our locality suffered a prolonged power shutdown. Other sectors of North Karachi, however, do not suffer such long power breakdowns. Why is it that while we pay the same tariff as others, we suffer longer electricity cuts?” he wondered.

Ahmed Hashmi called Dawn from Maqboolabad and said that he had been told by his regional complaint centre that the KESC would not rectify any fault until the rain was over. He added that his locality had been without electricity since 9am.

Saood Siddiqui, calling from North Nazimabad, Block C, termed the KESC a sadist organization which tormented its consumers by keeping them in the dark about the duration of power breakdowns. “All over the world such little rain is not even noticed. But here the entire KESC infrastructure seems to have been collapsed by the rain,” he said.

Shahab Khan called from Defence, Phase 2 Extension, Commercial Area, and said that the army in the KESC had ruined he power utility. “One can note that in this area the concentration of repair shops of home appliances is the greatest. The reason is that our area has voltage swings quite frequently.” He said his locality had been without electricity since 9.45am.

Calling from C.P. Berar Society, Block 7/8, Abdul Salam Shaikh told Dawn his locality had been without electricity since 9am.

Another resident calling from the same area said lately his bills had almost doubled. “We faced a great loadshedding in the month of July. Why, then, have our bills almost doubled?” he wondered.

Two brothers — Abdul Mujeeb and Mohammad Mustafa — called from Bangalore Town. While power supply to one brother’s place had been restored, the other was still facing a power breakdown.

Another resident of the same area, Arshad Hussain, said that rain was a curse because it was always accompanied by power shutdowns.

Syed Ahmed Ali called from Defence, Phase 7, and told Dawn his locality had been without electricity for the past 12 hours.

A resident called from Federal B Area, Block 14, and said that the telephone numbers on the electricity bills of the KESC — 6378120, 6378121, 6364332 — were in nobody’s use as a recorded message says that these numbers do not exist. She added that she had been calling 118 the moment her locality suffered a power shutdown — at 2pm — and it had been engaged since then.

Iman Faruqui called from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 3, and said that his area had been without electricity for many hours. He added that 118 was engaged all the time.

Sana Baloch called from Gulshan-i-Iqbal block 13-D-1 and said she, being a student, was greatly disturbed by prolonged power shutdowns.

She said that there was a power breakdown in her locality since noon.

The electricity was not restored in 13-D-1 till 9pm.

A resident of Nazimabad, Block 2, said there had been no electricity in his locality since the afternoon.