With the mercury levels surging to around 40 degrees centigrade, the people of Karachi have now started braving at least 10 hours of power load shedding because the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) is not meeting the increasing electricity demand of the metropolitan that has surged to over 2,450 megawatts (MW).
The scorching heat and frequent power outages in short spells have been driving people mad in many parts of the city for the past few days.
They are now forced to face unscheduled power breakdowns, besides the already planned load shedding of over six hours in various spells.
Load shedding has also hit hospitals, trauma centres, small dispensaries, schools, colleges and universities, where activities remained below average.
Sources claimed that the company was relying mostly on electricity generated by gas and that supplied from the Water and Power Development Authority, despite the fact that additional power supply is needed to meet the high demand in the summer season.
However, the KESC has clarified that there has been no change of any sort in its scheduled load shedding plan across the city.
The power company also said that with the onset of the peak season, the demand is now surging close to the 2,500MW mark, while the mercury levels have been north of 40 degrees Celsius, showing no respite in the power demand.
However, the KESC said that since the past few days, consumers in certain areas have been facing intermittent power outages on account of disruptions at the connected grid stations brought about due to the unstable frequency being received via the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) system.
In part, to meet the 2,500MW daily electricity demand of the metropolitan, the KESC purchases 650MW of power from the national grid – the NTDC – which is currently facing a massive power shortfall of over 7,000MW countrywide, the power utility added.
According to the company, due to this unprecedented nationwide shortfall, the power supply to KESC vide the supply arrangement with the NTDC has become vulnerable to frequency disruptions, currently inherent to the national grid.
These under frequency relays (UFRs) from the NTDC system have affected supply to a few areas across the city.
Grids frequently affected by these frequency disruptions are North Karachi, Orangi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Garden, Federal B Area, Airport, Baldia, Lyari, Malir, Gulshan-e-Maymar and Jacob Lines.
These frequency disruptions are not only causing KESC’s consumers inconvenience, but are also putting severe stress on the power utility’s own distribution network.
Inconsistent and sudden UFRs through the NTDC routed to KESC’s grid stations are leading to excessive wear and tear of expensive distribution equipment.
The KESC realises the inconvenience being faced by its esteemed customers and is currently liaising with the NTDC to address this unexpected development.
It is hoped that with the stabilisation in the supply frequency from the NTDC, the situation would possibly be brought back to normal at the earliest.