City affected by second major power breakdown in three days

Residents suffered another massive electricity breakdown in many parts of Karachi on Thursday. It was the second major power breakdown in the city in just three days.

A spokesperson for K-Electric (KE) told The News that the halt in the power supply was caused on Thursday morning by the tripping of an extra high tension (EHT) line. The areas that experienced disruptions included North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Surjani Town, Model Colony, Lasbela, Defence View, Korangi, Clifton, Malir, Landhi, Federal B Area, FC Area, SITE, Orangi Town and Baldia Town.

The power failure occurred at around 6:30am and lasted several hours. A number of operations had to be delayed or postponed at various hospitals. Dr Zahid Jamal, a cardiologist at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, said he had to perform a surgery to insert a pacemaker, but the operation had to be delayed due to the suspension in power supply. Later, the operation was carried out with the help of generators.

The power breakdown also caused inconvenience at courts and offices of the provincial government and civic bodies. Mayor Wasim Akhtar was also reportedly attending a meeting when a power outage occurred.

Water supply

The water supply in the city was also affected due to the power breakdown. An officer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), requesting anonymity, said the unexpected power outage damaged machinery at the Dhabeji pumping station.

According to the KWSB officer, repair work was in progress at the pumping station when the outage occurred; however, timely action saved the 72- inch diameter pipeline from bursting.

Water was supplied to the city through an alternative line, the officer said, adding that 38 million gallons of water could not be supplied to the city on Thursday. The electricity supply was restored to the affected areas later in the day.

According to a resident of the Garden area, Nawaz, electricity was restored to his area at 1pm. A councillor in Orangi Town claimed that the power supply resumed at 2pm. A resident of Saddar, Sattar, said the power outage occurred in the area at 6:45am and the supply was restored at 3pm.

KE blames tripping

KE spokesman Sheeraz Mohiuddin told The News that the power outages were caused by tripping in an EHT line. “Supply from the national grid to the city is off. Restoration work is under way. We will keep media informed about any development,” he said.

A few hours later, the spokesperson said in statement that the power supply to Karachi had been restored to routine levels after the disruption was triggered due to a rollover effect after the supply to Karachi from the national grid was disconnected in the early hours of the morning. K-Electric currently receives 650MW from the national grid.

The statement said: “It is pertinent to note that power supply to most of the affected areas and strategic installations including key hospitals and water pumping stations was ensured on priority.

“The power utility maintained close coordination with the concerned authorities and their prompt support enabled earliest possible restoration. Partial supply from national grid was initiated within the hour and power supply was brought back to routine levels in the city as soon as the supply from the national grid was fully restored.

“We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our valued customers and appreciate their patience during this time. We are already in conversation with the concerned authorities to ensure a sustainable solution for provision of reliable services to customers.

“Climate factors especially humidity compounded with pollution create an adverse impact on transmission and electrical networks. All efforts are made to minimize the impact of these factors on the lines including routine washing and maintenance.”