KARACHI, May 11: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation’s transmission and distribution system seems to have broken down, unable to withstand the ruinous effect of heat.
Sources in the KESC told Dawn that complaints of power breakdowns had been received from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Kharadar, Saddar, North Nazimabad, Gulistan-i-Jauher, Federal B Area, Bahadurabad, Jamshed Town, Model Colony, Nazimabad, Old Golimar, New Karachi, North Karachi and Surjani Town.
Students calling from the Quaid-i-Azam Academy on M.A. Jinnah Road said they had faced a power shutdown at around 2.30pm. “The Quaid-i-Azam Academy does not have a power generator. Because of a power cut the library plunges into darkness even in daytime as it is properly covered to keep the books from sunlight, etc. A student looking for a book cannot find it in the library during a power shutdown.”
Mohammad Tahir, a former employee of the KESC, said the defective transmission and distribution system resulted in frequent breakdowns which remained unattended because 53 composite complaint centres in the city were not being run by the KESC in an efficient manner. He also stressed the need for increasing the number of complaints centres.
He explained that over the years the power utility had not bothered to invest in the maintenance of feeders and pole-mounted transformers. “Transformers which are repaired by KESC officials on an ad hoc basis keep on breaking down frequently. It is about time the power utility went for overhauling of all equipment in a big way.”
A resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 4-A, told Dawn he had a power failure every morning at least twice.
“Abrupt power failures can damage household appliances because they cannot withstand great voltage swings,” another resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal said.
A resident of North Nazimabad, Block L, phoned Dawn to complain about a power breakdown as a result of tripping in a high-tension wire.
A resident of Federal B Area, Block 6, said he had had to endure a power cut from 3pm to 4.40pm. Another resident of Federal B Area, Block 12, said his locality had been without power the previous day for several hours.
Kashif Saeed called from Defence Housing Authority, Phase 5, to say that for the last four days his locality had been experiencing more than one power shutdown at various hours of the day. “We experience the first power shutdown around 9am. In the afternoon, at around 2pm the power goes off once again. The third power shutdown occurs after the sunset, usually around 10/11pm.”
He said that the KESC officials at his complaint centre had admitted that the power utility had been carrying out unannounced loadshedding.
Wasif Ahmed, a resident of Gulistan-i-Jauher, said that his locality experienced power shutdowns every day at around 1pm. “The KESC complaint centre of my area said that loadshedding was being carried out for three hours every day. When I called 118 they said that there was some cable fault in my area.”
A resident of Khwaja Ajmer Nagri said the previous night they had experienced a power shutdown from 10pm to 1am. “We tried to contact the complaint centre of our area, but telephones at the complaint centre were either busy all the time or were not answered,” she said.
A resident of North Nazimabad, Block J, said there had been continual power breakdowns for 12 hours daily for the last more than a week. “And there has been power fluctuations round the clock,” he added.
Reports of frequent power breakdowns have been received from Landhi Zamanabad 36-B. Area people said that power breakdowns had made life miserable for them. On Friday, they said, at least seven breakdowns occurred in a day.