KARACHI, May 5: Many areas of the metropolis experienced prolonged power outages and acute water shortage on Saturday while the Karachi Electric Supply Company could not attend to faults swiftly.

In many areas, the power supply was affected for what the KESC officials described as “low or under frequency problems at various grids” especially at the airport and the adjoining areas.

The official did not say why this phenomenon was occurring for the past few days.

Sources told Dawn that there had been complaints about frequent fluctuations ever since the power utility reportedly started the switchover from copper to aluminum wires as conductor for electricity distribution.

The areas badly affected by ‘low frequency and phase issue’ were Gulistan-i-Johar, parts of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, F.B Area, Orangi, Korangi, Qayumabad, Mahmoodabad and Lyari.

In many areas of the city the electricity crisis was further compounded by water shortages.