The protesters took to the streets to register their protest against the awful performance of the power utility. They resorted to rioting in various areas, including Rizvia Society, Liaquatabad, Punjab Colony, Gulbai, New Town and Korangi No2 ½.
Protesters in Rizvia Society gave vent to their anger as power supply went off again on Tuesday morning after being restored after a prolonged breakdown on Monday only after they staged street demonstration.
In Punjab Colony also, angry youths appeared on road to stage a protest demonstration against the prolonged power outage.
A similar street protest was staged in Liaquatabad where people blocked one track of S. M. Taufeeq Road and disrupted vehicular traffic. Condemning the KESC performance, they urged the government to undo the privatization of the utility and take it under its control again after canceling the deal with the private firm.
Residents of Gulbai and New Town area emerged on roads and disrupted movement of vehicles.
This caused long traffic jam and the traffic police had to put in hectic efforts to divert other vehicles towards the alternative roads.
Residents of Korangi No.2 & 3 also took to the street after being deprived of power for the fourth consecutive day. They lost patience after enduring 96 hours of continuous power outage.
Enraged youths pelted passing vehicles with stones and raised slogans against the KESC and the government for their ‘criminal negligence’ and indifferent attitude towards the plight of power consumers. They said that electricity in their area went off on Saturday, even 24 hours before it started raining, and the supply was not restored till Tuesday night.
Briefing newsmen at the utility’s head office on Tuesday, KESC Principal Information Officer Sultan Hasan said that maintenance teams and officials were working round the clock to repair the faults across the city, He claimed that only 10-15 per cent area of the city was now without power with the worst-affected areas being the Defence and Clifton.
He maintained that there were underground cable faults causing breakdowns in Phase-V and Phase-VI in Defence but the authorities concerned did not allow the KESC to dig up the road without seeking permissions from all bureaucratic channels which ultimately delayed start of the repair work. Still, he added, efforts were being made to restore power supply to the affected areas.
Residents of Defence, Clifton and other areas, complaining of prolonged power breakdowns, strongly criticised the KESC’s complaint registration system.
An irate resident from Block-8, Clifton, said that power supply to his locality was suspended on Sunday and despite the passage of 72 hours, it could not be restored as yet. He said that he had made calls at ‘118’, local area complaint cells, and all the high-ranking officers of the power utility but none of them was available.
“There are some houses getting continued power supply and one of my neighbours tried to install an extra connection erecting wire over my roof. When I objected to it, he retorted that they were KESC men. I asked him to let me talk to them but he changed his mind,” he said, adding that people could draw electricity through illegal connections but the KESC would not oblige consumers to get it through legal means.
A resident of 31st Street, Khayaban-i-Sehr, in Defence Phase-V Extension, said that power supply to this area had been discontinued on Saturday and over the last 96 hours, it was not restored for a single moment. He said: “We have run out of water in overhead tank and cannot fill it as the motor pump are lying non-functional for want of power. Meat and perishable items in refrigerator have got rotten.” He said he tried to talk to KESC people by phone at different centres but in vain.
Aslam Khan from 23rd Street, Defence Phase-V, said that power supply was disconnected some 40 hours back and it could not be restored as yet. He tried to contact KESC officials but every one tried to shift his responsibility to other officials and he kept just dialing numbers.
Shehla Fateh from Jamshed Road said that the power supply was restored at 6am in her locality after a long pause. However, it was again disrupted at 10am and the locality was till without power.
A consumer from Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road in Saddar said that power in his locality went off with the first drop of rain on Sunday and was restored only on Monday morning. It went off again at 11pm on Monday and could not be restored even after 20 hours now.
A resident from Sector 48-B in Korangi No.2 said that his locality was without power since July 29. Several complaints were lodged with the KESC local complaint centre but only to hear that the supply would be restored in an hour or two.
A resident from Block 4-A, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, said that electricity kept playing hide-and-seek in his locality whole the day and night. He said that the voltage fluctuation also posed a constant threat to electrical appliances at his home.