Expressing concern over massive tripping of high tension circuits due to which several grid stations were temporarily affected, the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) on Monday claimed that planned sabotage was behind the faults.
Fourteen high tension transmission lines: 220kV Pipri-ICI circuit; 132kV KTPS-Karkey circuit; 132kV Baldia-KANUPP circuit No 2; 220kV Lalazar-Mauripur circuit; 132kV Pipri-Port Qasim circuit; 220kV BQPS-KCR circuit No 1; 132kV Pipri-BOC circuit; 132kV BOC-Dhabeji circuit; 132kV RECP-Gharo circuit; 220kV KDA-Pipri circuit No 1; 132kV Hub-Winder circuit; 220kV KCR-Lalazar circuit No 2; 220kV BQPS-Pipri circuit No 1; and 132kV Gharo-Dhabeji circuit were tripped almost at the same time around midnight. The circuits affected were normalised by the KESC’s maintenance teams within a few hours and the power supply was restored.
According to a statement issued by the KESC, however, the maintenance teams found evidence of sabotage during the course of repair.
“On Sunday night, the KESC union workers had blocked the maintenance teams from moving towards the fault location of 132 KV KANUPP-Baldia Circuit No 1, causing a delay in the maintenance of tripped circuit,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the KESC police arrested four alleged bandits involved in stealing copper wires by cutting off extra-high tension transmission cables, which caused massive tripping of circuits in the Pipri-Bin Qasim area. The police also claimed to have recovered 190 kg of stolen copper cables from their possession and lodged an FIR against the suspects named Muhammad Imran alias Mani, Muhammad Mazhar alias Mazhari, Siraj Ahmed and Subhan Ali.
RABBANI’S COMMENTS: The KESC on Monday strongly opposed the views expressed by Senator Raza Rabbani in the Senate, based on wrong assumptions and hearsay.
“The KESC management has not failed to ensure smooth supply of electricity to its consumers but it is the government that has failed to supply adequate fuel to the power company for generating enough electricity to meet the demand,” stated the KESC statement.
The KESC expressed surprise over Rabbani’s unawareness of the fact that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority was just a regulatory body responsible for regulating power tariff not for the KESC alone but also for nine other power distribution companies and it has no jurisdiction to take over any company.
“The government has failed to honour its commitment to provide 276 MMCFD of natural gas to the KESC as per the agreement. The ECC had recently re-approved the commitment but there has been no improvement as the gas supply is touching the lowest mark of 110 MMCFD.
“The government has also failed to clear its Rs 20 billion outstanding electricity dues to the KESC, causing huge cash inflow gap affecting the company’s buying power in terms of shifting to the more expensive option of fuel, furnace oil,” the statement concluded.