KARACHI, April 23: Many city areas remained without electricity on Wednesday despite the fact that the temperature dropped to 35 degrees Centigrade.

Sources in the centralized complaint centre of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation told Dawn that Gulshan-i- Iqbal, Federal B Area, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Defence Housing Society, Shah Faisal Colony, Clifton, Saddar, Kharadar and Lyari.

Calling from Federal B Area, Block 17, a resident said that he had come home late the previous night and had wanted to sleep late. “But our locality lost power supply around noon. I had no option but to wake up at 12 o’clock,” he said.

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 16, said that his locality had lost power supply around 2pm.

One very angry Shifa Naeem called from Shah Faisal Colony and said she wanted to protest the high-handedness of the KESC staff in the strongest possible words.

She said that due to fluctuations in power supply many electronic equipment, which could not sustain such power swings, had become defective.

“The KESC staff do not solve the problems of taxpayers because they couldn’t care less,” she said.

A resident of New Karachi informed Dawn that a large number of Kundas (illegal connections) caused power breakdowns in his area. He said he had no idea why the KESC was not making any efforts to remove the illegal power connections and provide new connections.

Calling from North Nazimabad, Block L, an Intermediate student said she was most upset about power breakdowns which occurred almost on a daily basis. “Our examination will begin tomorrow. It is most annoying to read books by candlelight. I want to know if the KESC has made any arrangements to ensure that power supply to city areas remain uninterrupted for as long as the Intermediate exams.”

A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 6, told Dawn that his area had been without electricity for almost the whole day. “My complaint centre told me that a feeder or a line had tripped somewhere. But the centralized complaint centre said that it was a cable fault. I don’t know who was telling the truth.”

A banker called from Garden East near Soldier Bazaar and said his locality had been without electricity for more than two hours. “In the evening we had another spell of a prolonged power breakdown. These announced power cuts inconvenience everybody, especially children.”

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block 18, said his locality had experienced an early morning power breakdown. He added that electricity shutdowns in his locality mostly in the early hours, inconveniencing students