The load shedding-hit consumers of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) are braving prolonged power breakdowns in addition to 10 hours of unscheduled power shutdowns in the city.
For the past two days, various areas in Defence, Clifton, Malir, Korangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Nazimabad among others are facing prolonged power outages due to technical faults but the severe shortage of electricity, which has resulted in load shedding of over 10 hours, has been blamed by the KESC on the sudden reduction of gas supply from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).
Keeping the gas shortage aside, many areas remained in the dark the whole Wednesday night as the power company failed to remove different localised faults despite protests and complaints registered by the citizens affected. Though the KESC, over the last over two months, continued to blame the severe power shortfall on the violent protest of its workers, who allegedly disturbed the distribution system, the resolution of the longstanding dispute on July 26 bore no improvement in the power supply system; rather the power supply situation deteriorated.
The citizens, who were earlier facing at least 8 hours of power outages, have started experiencing 9 to 10 hours of unscheduled load shedding since the KESC-employees row resolved. According to reliable sources, one of the major reasons of faults remaining unresolved is the recruitment of unskilled workers by the KESC. The new workers have been given the charge after various departments were outsourced by the company.
However, the company through various statements gives various excuses and reasons for the ongoing severe electricity shortage and load shedding. A statement issued by the KESC on Thursday, said the sudden and unilateral decision taken by SSGC to reduce gas supply was the beginning of the fiasco, as gas turbines at the power plants started tripping, leading not only to the equipment being damaged but also reduction in the power generation capability.
The KESC reiterated that to cater to the city’s growing power demand of 2500MW daily, the minimum required gas supply is 276mmcfd. The supply baseline has already been merited by the ECC, advising gas supply increase from 160mmcfd to 276mmcfd or thereabout. “In the past 12 months, the KESC has made purchased gas amounting to Rs 25.6 billion and Rs 21.4 billion have already been paid. The government institutions owe KESC over Rs 22 billion, with Rs 14.5 billion by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) alone. The remaining amount is to be paid by the defunct city government, police, Rangers and other provincial entities.”
Despite being a defaulter to the tune of Rs 14.3 billion, the KWSB has been earmarked as a ‘strategic customer’. In the past 12 months, the KWSB power bills have accumulated to Rs 4.3 billion of which only a dismal figure of Rs 250 million was paid. The KESC has requested the Finance Ministry many times to pay this outstanding amounts, directly to the SSGC and the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to offset the amounts claimed by them, but till date there has been no development on it.
It is worth noting that according to the agreement all overdue payments to KESC by government entities are backed by sovereign guarantees and hence the government is bound to clear all overdue payments. Despite default, the KESC has been supplying power to all strategic customers and with the gas supply going down to 120mmcfd, limited supply of furnace oil by PSO, non-availability of KANNUP (80MW) and electricity demand touching an unprecedented 2,500 MW, the KESC is left with little choice but to initiate load shedding in government institutions also.
With Ramazan approaching, the current situation is turning into a serious attempt to create unrest in Karachi. Whether it is PSO, or SSGC, or the Finance Ministry, the underlying common factor is that the consumers continue to suffer in the blistering weather, while the entities blame each other, triggering one crisis after another.
