SHC questions K-Electric over prolonged power cuts

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  • Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah concerned about power outages

 

The Sindh High Court (SHC) questioned K-Electric officials on Monday regarding measures taken to bring down the load shedding in the city.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer, Faisal Siddiqui, stated that an entire area should not be affected of by power shutdown if one person defaults on paying the bills. He added that even if it is the matter of theft, the person committing the crime should bear the brunt of the power cuts, not the other responsible consumers.

He added that K-Electric should provide electricity to the citizens under the national power policy.

Officials of the power utility were also present at the hearing.

In 2014, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered the power utility to ensure smooth electricity supply during Ramazan, the lawyer asserted. Despite this, 80% of the areas in Karachi had prolonged power cuts at Sehri on the first day of Ramzan this year.

The court has reserved its decision on the matter and will announce it later in the day.

On May 24, SHC Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, heading the bench, had come down hard on K-Electric stating that they would not sit idle while unannounced load shedding continues to affect the residents.

Prolonged power cuts continue

Power outages in Karachi continued on Monday and people spent their second consecutive Sehri in darkness after a major electricity breakdown hit 13 districts of Sindh on Sunday due to Extra High Tension tripping in Jamshoro 500 KV line. Load shedding in the region continues in the name of technical faults.

Several areas of Karachi continue to remain without electricity, and power could not be restored in some parts of Hyderabad even after 31 hours. Power outages during Sehri continued in almost all regions of Karachi including Malir, Shah Faisal Town, Korangi Town, Jahangir Road, North Karachi, New Karachi and Nazimabad were observed.

K-Electric could not provide any solid reason behind the power cut. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah concerned about the power cuts addressed a letter to Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif. The letter stated that 13 districts of rural Sindh and half of Karachi plunged into darkness after the 500 KV Hubco-Jamshoro transmission line tripped at around 2:15 am on Sunday, and the power had not yet been fully restored. The Sindh CM urged Khawaja Asif to take necessary steps to rectify the faults in the 500 KV transmission line so that electricity may be restored in the affected areas of Sindh.

He went on to request the federal minister to ensure that the load shedding is kept to a  minimum at least during Ramzan and to ensure uninterrupted power supply during Sehri and Iftar times. A reference of the email was also given in the letter that was sent on May 24.

On the other hand, Provincial Minister Nasir Shah has claimed that Sindh is being treated unfairly regarding electricity matter. The ministers of Sindh also asserted that the federal government maintains its promise of not conducting load shedding during Ramzan.

Khawaja Asif phones Sindh CM, regrets at water tripping

Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif made a call to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and regretted at the tripping of feeders.

According to a statement issued here on Monday by the Sindh Chief Minister House, the chief minister speaking on phone said that the people of Sindh were facing severe difficulties due to load shedding.

He reminded the minister that he had promised him to decrease the load shedding and there will be no load shedding during the Sehri and Iftari timings.

The federal minister assured the CM that load shedding will be minimised and special care to be taken in Ramadan to this effect.