The summer of 2009 has just set in and the Karachities are getting ready for summer by buying fans, air conditioners and refrigerators, worrying whether they may be able to use these 'luxuries' this summer or not. In fact, the UPS devices and generators are even more in demand these days. The impact of unscheduled power cuts is catastrophic on the economy as well as on the domestic life of the people of Karachi. The loadshedding has virtually destroyed business and trade in this cosmopolitan city. Manufacturers, producers, service providers, even shopkeepers are unable to operate efficiently due to power cuts that are sometimes as long as 6-8 hours a day. Loadshedding gave people another reason to fall back on deadlines, quoting 'light nahi thi, kya karain' (what we can do, as there was no power). The less privileged, which cannot afford UPS or generators, spend night without electricity and ultimately their frustration and despair causes them to riot or resort to violence. -MUNZA KHAN, Karachi, via e-mail, May 26.