KARACHI - An unannounced power loadshedding continued in Karachi, the largest city and economic hub of Pakistan, as eight hours power shutdown in a day continued in industrial areas of the city on Saturday.

According to sources, the factories have closed night shifts due to long hours of disruption in power supply leaving thousands of industrial workers jobless.

Several union councils in the metropolis facing long hours of power outages during sweltering summer time in Karachi.

According to reports 41 UCs in Orangi Town, Bihar Colony, Saddar, Kharadar, Lea Market, Baldia, Madina Colony, Qaimkhani Colony and adjoining areas suffering power outages amid the power utility’s claims of shortage of furnace oil.

There are some localities remain deprived of electricity for the entire night, reportedly due to technical faults. The worst hit areas among them included Lyari, Korangi, Landhi, Surjani Town, Saeedabad, Ramswami, Keamari, New Karachi, Gadap Town, Ahsanabad, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Baldia Town, Garden, Malir and Orangi Town.

According to sources, the K-electric is being supplied 700 megawatts of electricity from the national grid but the company failed to address chronic power outages in Karachi.

Several city areas suffering longer power outages while the areas exempted from loadshedding also facing interruption of power supply from three to six hours in a day.

The city when suffering from coronavirus pandemic these insane power outages adding further misery to the patients and their families.

According to sources, the K-electric was bound to inform about its additional demand of furnace oil to the PSO 30 days earlier but the power utility placed a delayed order to the oil company.

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had stated that it was supplying gas to the power utility according to its demand and didn’t slash the gas supply. Long hours of power outages had also affected the water supply in several areas of the city.

PTI warns of protest against KE

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi President and MPA Khurram Sher Zaman on Saturday said that K-Electric had made the lives of Karachiites miserable due to the unannounced loadshedding and they had turned the city of lights into city of darkness. He said, ‘KE was playing the role of East India Company. It must address the issue of overbiling.’ Khurrum said that KE was lying about furnace oil since oil companies clarified about it, according to a news release.

He said that patients in quarantine could not face this misery of loadshedding and shortage of water in this weather. Political appointments in KE had also made the situation worst. The meeting of Governor Sindh with K-Electric heads would bring positive outcomes.

Secretary General PTI Karachi, Dr Saeed Afridi said that K Electric was playing with the lives of home quarantined coronavirus patients.

‘In areas of my constituency including Banaras colony, Qasba Colony, people are deprived of electricity and water which is dreadful,’ he said adding that K-Electric must improve its performance in two days otherwise PTI will launch a protest.

Railways’ team monitors KCR revival work

Consequent upon the decision of the Supreme Court pertaining to the revival of Karachi Circular Railways project, a team of Pakistan Railways visited and monitored the progress of work on the KCR revival project under the directives of Chairman Railways Habib ur Rehman Gillani.

The team comprised Additional General Manager (Infrastructure) Nisar Memon, Divisional Superintendent Karachi Division Arshad Salam Khattak, Project Director KCR Ameer Mohammad Daudpota and Deputy DS Farid Ahmad, said a news release on Saturday.

The revival work has resumed during the last few days after facing a pause period of three months owing to precautionary moves taken for the prevention from Covid-19. The team visited different stations of the project from Baldia to Gillani station along with level crossings appearing en route.

The AGM (Infrastructure), a visiting officer from PR Headquarters Lahore who led the visiting team, monitored the progress on the work and directed for completion of all the assigned tasks during the stipulated time.

“The revival work on the KCR project may be expedited and Railways Headquarters is dedicated to provide monetary, logistical or any other support as required by the site staff and officers for timely conclusion of this historic project,” said Nisar Memon during his conversation with the officers and employees present at working areas.

Though the budgetary provisions for the KCR project have been earmarked during the FY 2020-21 but Pakistan Railways has started the work during the ongoing fiscal year 2019-20 and tender for the project has already been floated. In order to streamline the KCR revival work, the government has also appointed Project Director KCR project, a BS-20 officer from Pakistan Railways.