KARACHI - Karachiites are suffering long hours of power outage on the pretext of so-called technical faults. Previously KESC cited low generation of power as reason for loadshedding but now they have added technical fault to the list of excuses for making Karachiites suffer extended hours of power failures. On working days, the power utility excuse of holding long power outages could be accepted because the commercial areas and offices are open and the power consumption is higher but when on Sunday, which is closed day for offices and commercial activities, there is loadshedding than one is forced to suspect foul play in the KESC which is using every kind of excuse, right or wrong, to generate minimum power to save money. Though the load shedding schedule of the Karachi Electric Supply Company is four hours a day, there is no electricity in various areas of the city for several days owing to technical faults. Fluctuation in power voltage played havoc with domestic electronic appliances and electric fittings. Residents in area where fluctuation is severe reported that refrigerators, computers, televisions had developed faults. Bulbs, tube lights and even energy saver bulbs were fused because up and down in power flow. The power outage has also created a scarcity of water in News Karachi, North, Papsh Nagar, Golimar etc. People are staging protests in many areas of the city against loadshedding, interrupting the flow of traffic. Meanwhile the loadshedding badly affected certain areas of the city including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, PCHS Society, Tariq Road, DHA, Saddar, Lyari and FB Area. Residents complained about the prolonged and announced loadshedding and said that fluctuations had additional expenditure because their electronic devices got damaged. The loadshedding is somewhat acceptable but this fluctuation is ruining our electrical appliances, complained a domestic woman. On the other hand, areas such as PECHS and Saddar, which are highly commercialised areas of the city, are also suffering due to this frequent power shortage. A businessman while talking to TheNation said that his business was suffering badly due to this condition and he was forced to use alternate means of getting electricity which was expensive thus adding burden to his business. It is pertinent to mention here that the water supplies in too many areas of metropolis is badly affected due to prolonged outages of electricity and the people have been forced to purchase drinking water on unjustified rates.