Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has alerted citizens about the inevitable increase in the duration of load shedding in the coming week across all residential and commercial localities of the metropolis. The utility informed consumers that14 hours a day outages is a possibility.
Underlining the main reasons behind this unpleasant but unavoidable step, KESC said that despite repeated requests, the government had not taken action to release the power utility’s outstanding dues amounting to Rs 71 billion. It stated that the liquidity crisis had placed the utility in a tight spot as it could not even purchase furnace oil to run its generating units. Meanwhile, limited gas supply had already limited KESC’s capacity to run the gas-fired power plants. The utility was therefore left with no other option but to increase load shedding in the metropolis and adjoining regions of interior Sindh and Balochistan.
Earlier, KESC officials had requested the government to pay at least Rs 25 billion to PSO against KESC’s dues. KESC had also requested the Sindh government to directly make a payment of Rs 3 billion to SSGC out of the Rs 22 billion that it had to recover from KWSB. Officials concerned were notified that these payments would ensure smooth and adequate supply of furnace oil and gas to KESC. Nevertheless, all such requests bore no fruit. Presently, if the government decides not to play its due role, a serious power crisis is inevitable, KESC officials informed.
KESC had once again reiterated its appeal to seek affirmative action from the government in the larger interest of 20 million population of metropolis. KESC hoped that the government would react to this dire situation. However, if the status quo was maintained, KESC requested the citizens to bear with the hardship of increased load shedding duration.
