Prolonged power outages worsening water crisis in city

Karachi
Several areas of Karachi have been facing prolonged hours of load shedding and fluctuating power supply, reinforcing the water crisis for the residents of these localities.
The sizzling heat and a severe water crisis already had citizens at their wits’ end when prolonged hours of load shedding are also testing their patience.
Electricity outages are mostly faced by the residents of Defense, North Nazimabad, Sakhi Hasan, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Surjani Town, Manghopir, Korangi and Landhi.
Kamal Umrani, a resident of Sakhi Hassan, said the electricity supply came and went as it pleased. “Even after repeated complaints, it is restored after 10 to 12 hours,” he said.
Similar complaints were made by residents of district East who said despite several complaints to the offices of the K-Electric, but the officials always respond with a standard “Work is in progress” and never tell the expected time period citizens have to spend without electricity.
But despite that, he said, prolonged load shedding by the K-Electric had no impact on the inflated bills sent to customers at the end of every month.
A homemaker from North Nazimabad, Farhana Ismail, said all the electrical appliances in her house had stopped working due to the fluctuating voltage and frequent power outage.
“But the hefty bills keep on coming every month,” she said.
The power outages also keep people from being able to store water, thus worsening the ongoing crisis in the city.
Meanwhile, the Sindh local government minister Sharjeel Inam Memon too is always heard complaining that frequent power outages at pumping stations were the biggest hurdle in smooth water supply to the city.
For the past two weeks, residents of a number of areas and workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have taken to the streets in various areas to protest against water shortage and prolonged load shedding.
On the other hand, the K-Electric spokesman said while talking to The News that there was not even a concept of unannounced load shedding in Karachi.
He said not more than seven-and-a-half hours of load shedding was being done and that too in very high-loss areas. He said the company was being compelled to do it because of extensive power theft and extra load on a number of electricity feeders.
Meanwhile in medium-loss areas, load shedding was done for up to six hours. He said there were more than 1,300 power feeders in Karachi and at times they needed to be repaired and had to be shut down.