KARACHI: Persistent power failures add to people's hardship

By Our Reporter

KARACHI, May 17: Widespread and prolonged power failures in many parts of the city caused hardships to people in the affected areas on Wednesday as temperature soared to 35.5 Celsius, with a humidity of 64 per cent.

People complained that the KESC centres, including 118 failed to provide a relief to them. Power failures continued overnight, creating water shortage.

The KESC cited commissioning of its "improved" distribution system as the reason for the breakdowns, but it had no explanation for the breakdowns in the areas where the programme was not being implemented.

A KESC spokesman acknowledged that transformer No 2 of the Gizri Grid had to be closed down "due to overheating" , a phrase which is generally used to cover-up overloading of its system. As a consequence Defence Housing Authority remained without power between 11.30 am and 1.40 pm.

Power supply from Prince Aly Khan sub-station to Garden West was also disrupted due to burning of the leads. The supply was, however, restored after repairs, the spokesman said.

Liaquatabad, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Gulistan-i-Jauhar also suffered from power interruptions from 7 am and the KESC said its engineers were busy in putting the new Gulistan-i-Jauhar grid station to test run.

Imtiazul Huda, General Secretary of the Concerned Citizens Association (district central), complained that in North Karachi 11C-3, Sectors 9 and 10 and Alam Town, there was no electricity since early morning. Power failures, he said, have become a routine affair, he claimed.

Mr Huda complained that the KESC had not yet replaced the PMT on Pole 15 in Sector 11C-3, North Karachi. The transformer was removed by the KESC four months back.

In North Karachi's sectors 11-C, 8, 9, and 11-B, power failures of long durations are being witnessed almost daily.

Residents of North Nazimabad, blocks H, L and M complained of frequent power failures and said they were intermittently without electricity for the fifth consecutive day.

According to information gathered by Dawn, power supply was disrupted, due to overloading to Malir, Khokhrapar, Alimabad, Amar Yasir Society, Saudabad, and Liaquat Market which are linked with Shamsi Feeder, Malir Police Feeder and Dumloti Feeder.

Shah Faisal Colony, connected with Drigh Road "A" feeder, Korangi 2, 3, 4, connected with Comprehensive School Feeder and Landhi 36-B, connected with Landhi-A feeder, were also affected by the power disruption. Lines Area, connected with Jacob Lines feeder, was also affected.

Heavy overloading from PMT-to-substations has become a daily affair because the KESC did not carry out any maintenance work between November 99 and March in the area.

Most of the complaint centres reported shortage of racking material, i.e. cable, jumper, wire etc.

Owing to day-long fluctuations, many people complained their electrical appliances had been damaged.

reinstated: The KESC employees against whom the management had withdrawn cases have been asked to report to OIC personnel by May 19, for further posting.

This had been done after the management decided to withdraw the appeal filed in the supreme court against the judgment of the Federal Services tribunal. As a result of the withdrawal, services of 26 officers were reinstated and termination letters of 13 others cancelled.

The services of the officials were terminated in March 1997.

http://www.dawn.com/2000/05/18/local6.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), May 18, 2000

Answers

KARACHI: KESC indifferent Water crisis due to power breakdowns

By Our Reporter

KARACHI, May 18: As the mercury shot up to 35 Celsius on Thursday, there was no relief to be had from prolonged power interruptions in the city of over 12 million people.

In Federal 'B' Area blocks 2,3,5 and 7, power supply remained suspended since early morning due to fault in the 250 KVA transformer. Supply was restored after 2pm.

Liaquatabad grid 40 MVA transformer was put off for maintenance work as the trolley malfunctioned. As a result power supply to Liaquatabad no 2,3,4, C-1 area, Federal Capital Area and Firdous Colony was affected. A KESC spokesman said power supply remained suspended from 10:45am to 11:30am. But residents of the affected areas said they had to endure the scorching summer heat minus electricity for much longer.

Parts of Gulshan-i-Iqbal suffered no electricity for six hours from noon.

On I.I. Chundrigar Road, the Cotton Exchange Feeder developed cable fault around 10am which a corporation spokesman claimed was repaired by 2:30pm.

The KESC spokesman added the 750 KVA transformer supplying electricity to residents of Jinnah Square and Model Colony PMT was also repaired. A PMT in Landhi and three others in Korangi were also normalized, he claimed.

For the last two nights Defence Phase-V, Khyaban-i-Momin had been experiencing power fluctuations. Consumers said the KESC complaint staff was not attending calls.

Sources in the utility said because of violence in city it was not possible for vehicles to reach troubled spots.

Power failures continued overnight along with fluctuations which also created water shortage for residents.

Liaquatabad, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Gulistan-i-Jauhar suffered from interruptions in supply on Wednesday. KESC claimed its engineers were busy putting the new Gulistan-i-Jauhar grid station to test run.

There was no relief for residents of North Karachi 11C-3, sectors 9 and 10 as KESC had not replaced the pole 15 PMT it had removed about four months back from 11C-3.

North Karachi sectors 11C, 1,2,3, sector 8,9, and 11B suffered from no electricity for several hours.

KESC subscribers in North Nazimabad, block H complained frequent power breakdowns had become a daily affair.

Contrary to KESC's claims power supply was disrupted due to overloading to Malir, Khokhrapar, Alimabad, Yamar Yasir Society, Saudabad and Liaquat Market linked to the Shamsi, Malir Police and Dumloti feeders.

Shah Faisal Colony connected with Drigh Road "A" feeder, Korangi 2,3,4, connected with Comprehensive School feeder, Landhi 36B connected with the Landhi "A" feeder and Lines Area connected with Jacob Lines feeder were also affected.

Water supply: Frequent power failures continued to disrupt water supply to various localities for the second consecutive day on Thursday.

Residents of affected areas also faced difficulties in arranging private water tankers as most of them stayed off the roads owing to the violence that erupted shortly after news of the coldblooded murder of Maulana Yousuf Ludhianvi spread throughout the city like wildfire.

However, a few tankers seen operating in a few parts of the city were in high demand and reportedly charged as high Rs500 to Rs600 per trip from the residents of water-starved localities.

The worst-hit areas which either received scant water supply or completely went dry on Thursday included PECHS Block 2, Burns Road, several localities of the Old City areas, Saddar, Plaza Quarters and a few parts of North Nazimabad and Federal 'B' Area.

Meanwhile, complaints regarding chronic water shortage continued to pour at newspaper offices from different sectors of Surjani Town, Baldia Town's Mujahid Colony, Madina Colony, Shah Faisal Colony's Taj Centre, Mehmoodabad no 5 and Defence View Bungalows.

Residents of high-rise buildings and multi-storied bungalows complained though they had stored water in underground tanks they could not pump water to overhead tanks due to frequent power breakdowns.

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), May 19, 2000.