Rain intensifies power crisis
As it started raining on Friday evening in Karachi, electricity supply to most areas of the city was suspended.
Over 250 feeders tripped amid the downpour and multiple incidents of electrocution were reported, further laying bare the holes in the metropolis’ power infrastructure.
Consequently, areas exempted from load-shedding were deprived of electricity for four to five hours, while the rest of the port city remained devoid of power for eight to 12 hours.
Localities most affected by power breakdowns included Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Liaquatabad, Nusrat Bhutto Colony, Sohrab Goth, Surjani Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Razzaqabad, Kathore and Gadap Town.
Exasperated citizens continued to pile up complaints at the K-Electric (KE) complaints centre, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, a KE spokesperson maintained that electricity to the city’s neighbourhoods was suspended for “repairs and load management.”
However, he admitted that several electric wires had broken after rains and advised citizens to stay at a safe distance from electric poles.
Swathes of the city being deprived of electricity on Friday was not, however, a one-off, isolated occurrence.
While power outages have long plagued the metropolis, the situation has exacerbated of late, with the load-shedding duration extending to 10 to 15 hours in most areas and even localities earlier exempted of load-shedding being deprived of electricity.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2020.