Power supply to parks cut off as KMC-KE blame game continues

Almost all the parks under the administrative control of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) are devoid of power due to an ongoing tussle between the corporation and K-Electric (KE).

On Tuesday, administrative affairs of the KMC remained suspended as the power supply to even the KMC building was not restored. On Friday, the KE had disconnected the power supply to the corporation on account of outstanding dues.

According to a press statement from the KMC, Bagh Ibne Qasim, Gulshan-e-Jinnah, Jheel Park, Hill Park and several other parks of the city have plunged into darkness after the KE discontinued the power supply. Even the smaller parks under the administrative control of the KMC have been deprived of electricity. Due to the power cut, grass in these parks has started to dry, as water pumps have stopped functioning.

A few of the parks such as Bagh Ibne Qasim have recently been restored by the corporation in which expensive grass has been planted. “If this grass is not watered regularly, it will dry up and the corporation will face a huge loss,” an official told The News on Tuesday and added that apart from the grass, plants were also deprived of water.

After the sunset, the visitors find it immensely difficult to stay inside the parks due to the darkness. The KMC’s anti-encroachment department has confiscated cables and generators of the KE in Gulshan-e-Iqbal as part of its anti-encroachment operation on the directives of the Supreme Court (SC).

Meanwhile, according to a press statement issued by the KE, the KMC has continued retaliatory action against the disconnection of the electricity supply to the mayor’s office on K-Electric properties in violation of law, damaging KE premises located in North Karachi and Qayyumabad.

According to the orders of the court in the KE’s fresh suit dated July 1, 2019, no action shall be taken against the KE without serving a two-day notice (requirement under law). The KMC has continued to violate the law by damaging KE property, which also includes motorcycles being damaged, which belonged to KE staff, which were parked at these locations. A KE guard has also been injured during these activities.

The municipal body owes Rs4.11 billion to the power utility and the Supreme Court had directed KMC to start paying monthly electricity bills from April 2019 onwards. However, following the disconnection of multiple KMC power connections by the KE on account of the non-payment of monthly electricity bills since April 2019, the KMC took action demolishing some of KE infrastructure in an abrupt manner with no prior notice, which is a gross violation of the applicable law. It is noteworthy that the KE had served several notices to the municipality for the payment of monthly electricity bills before disconnection of the power supply.