The areas which suffered power breakdowns on Friday included Federal B Area, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, New Karachi, North Karachi, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Defence, Dhoraji, Sindhi Muslim Society, PECHS, Cosmopolitan Society, Garden East, Soldier Bazaar and Clifton.
The block 16 of Federal B Area, which had experienced a prolonged power breakdown on Thursday, faced another night-long power breakdown on Friday when it remained without electricity from 7am to noon.
“When I tried to find out what had taken so long for the fault to be fixed, I learnt that the power breakdown caused following the theft of transmission lines in the area.
“If the KESC cannot keep a watchful eye on the transmission lines in an area as built-up as Federal B Area, I wonder what happens in deserted localities,” he observed.
Another resident of Federal B Area, Block 14, said his locality had remained without electricity from 6pm to 7pm.
“The power supply was resumed for a couple of minutes only to leave us again. Since it has become quite clear that the KESC cannot ensure that no power breakdowns occur in the summer, why can’t the education authorities hold examinations in winter so that students do not have to study by candlelight?” he wondered.
While the KESC chose not to explain why it was doing nothing to reduce the number of power breakdowns — despite assurances held out last winter that the summer of 2003 would be without power cuts — it announced that many city areas would remain without electricity for the power utility was undertaking some repair work. It left it unexplained why the KESC had twiddled its thumb in winter and not undertaken the repair work.
A press release says that as KESC is undertaking system improvement work, some of the areas will remain without power on Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
“The effected areas will include Korangi, Sector 34-1, 34-II, 34-III, 35-A, Gulshan-i-Mohammad, Korangi Exchange II, Sector 32-A, Korangi Labour Square, North Karachi, sector 12-C, Sherani Ice S.M. Obaid, Jewani Oil and A.K. Fashion.
“Similarly, on Sunday a shutdown of 132KV transmission line lying between North Nazimabad and Valika Grid Stations will be taken to attend some work to be carried out under the KESC Sixth Power (sector loan) project.
“The duration of the shutdown will be from 9am to 11am. Some of the areas will be fed North Nazimabad, grid station will be effected which will include North Nazimabad, Block A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, Q, S, T, W, Firdous Colony, Haji Mureed Goth, Nazimabad II, Nusrat Bhutto Colony, Sector 3, 4 and Shahiabad, Orangi Town, Paposh Nagar, Pathan Colony, Mastan Challi and Nazimabad 5.”