Load-shedding: Water damage leads to power breakdown

Electricity was still being supplied to hospitals through alternate sources.

KARACHI: K-Electric has revealed that a 220KV underground transmission line near Qayyumabad was partially damaged after a nearby water supply pipe developed a leak.

The water caused disruptions in the electricity transmission network. The affected grids were immediately restored from alternate sources, however, 1.5 hours of load-shedding was carried out in some areas to avoid overloading on the alternate circuit.

These areas include Defence, Clifton, PECHS, Garden, Korangi West, Gizri, Lyari and West Wharf. Most of these areas had previously been exempted from load-shedding.

In a press statement on Thursday, the power utility apologised to its customers for the unannounced load-shedding, clarifying that the loss in power was due to an external fault and not due to the company’s negligence.

The statement added that during the breakdown, the K-Electric continued to supply power to hospitals through alternate sources.

Meanwhile, the repair work is still ongoing and customers will be relieved of the additional load-shedding as soon as it is completed. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2014.