The underprivileged residents of Keamari’s Zarobi Colony may see some respite in load shedding after, what K-Electric (KE) said, having done away with using electricity through illegal means like ‘kunda’ system (hooks).
The KE on Tuesday announced to have successfully installed about 100 new low-cost meters in the impoverished colony located near Clifton. The colony, KE said, was previously a kunda-infested area and hence the installation of low-cost meter scheme had been carried out to curb the usage of illegal connections.
The KE says its criterion for load shedding is based on the extent of line losses and power theft in a certain neighbourhood. Given Tuesday’s statement of the power utility, the newly regularised colony must see the seven-and-half-hour routine load shedding reduced significantly.
According to a KE statement, the company had received almost 130 applications from the dwellers of this colony. As part of ‘one stop shop campaign’, the application forms were collected where the camps were set up by KE management in this area.
Through this scheme, residents and shop owners of kunda-infested areas could fill the application forms and get on-spot approval of the low-cost meters for a cost of Rs 2,600.
The KE said more meters would continue to be installed in following days as well. The company was expected to receive around 200 more applications for the metered connections in this colony, he added.
KE has been endeavouring to control power theft in the city and hence has been taking active measures to discourage kunda system by installing affordable meters in the disadvantaged areas.
Zarobi Colony was one such area where kunda system was prevalent due to which residents of the colony were facing problems like electricity theft and load shedding.
The scheme was previously conducted in several other areas as well including Mianwali colony, Pakhtoon Para Baldia and Syed Village and these areas are now free from kunda infestation.
Giving further details, KE also hopes that residents of other high-loss areas in the city will discontinue resistance to positive change and cooperate with KE, as reduction in power losses would simply translate into lesser hours of load shedding and better supply of electricity.
