KARACHI, March 20: The Frontier Works Organization (FWO), currently engaged in the reconstruction of Korangi Road, has again damaged a 132,000-kilo volt extra high tension underground power cable about 200 yards ahead of the earlier damage repaired by the KESC.

According to a KESC press release, an excavator was digging the ground at 8.30pm on Friday in the absence of the KESC engineer posted with them, in an effort to remove a heavy concrete bolder earlier constructed for a signpost on top of the EHT underground cable, when the cable got yanked and damaged. Consequently, power supply to Jacob Lines and Garden grid stations was disconnected, plunging many city areas, including Saddar, Jacob lines, Garden, Frere Road and Soldier Bazaar, into darkness.

A team of KESC chief engineers and workers rushed to the site to reconnect the Jacob Lines and Garden grid stations with the main power supply line. It took the team about six hours to reconnect the two grid stations with the main line through an alternate supply source indigenously designed by the KESC to provide electricity to the consumers of the affected areas till the main line is repaired. The repair work will take about a week to complete.

Although power supply has been restored to Saddar, Jacob Lines, Garden, Frere Road, Soldier Bazaar and adjoining areas, consumers will face power interruptions of 60 to 90 minutes, as due to the alternate supply arrangements to these areas, the distribution system has become overloaded and to maintain the supply, shutdowns at regular intervals are necessary.

The KESC has regretted the repeated inconvenience being caused to its consumers and assured that the power supply will become normal soon.-PPI