Nepra team to probe Karachi power outages

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has sent a four-member team to Karachi in order to assess the factual position with regard to the failure of power supply and subsequent casualties and other problems caused by recent heavy rains.

The team would start it working from today (Saturday) and visit privatised K-Electric and state-run Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and would investigate to know the factual position that why huge breakdowns and human casualties under these companies occurred. It is worth mentioning that at least 20 people, including children were electrocuted to death in Karachi during the recent spell of monsoon rains.

First FIR was registered against K-Electric administration on Friday over electrocution of a man to death in recent rains in the metropolis. A 30-year-old Saad Ahmed was electrocuted in Paposh Nagar on July 29. On the same day, Nepra took serious notice of power outages and human losses due to electrocution in the Karachi and sought from the utility a report on it.

The regulator said, “It is disturbing to note that the Karachi Electric (KE) complaint centres are not responding to telephonic calls of consumers and, therefore, Nepra has directed KE to submit report about failure of its pre-emptive measures as the rain was expected. Nepra has also directed KE to take remedial measures for restoration of power supply at the earliest,” Nepra said in notice.

Consequently, the next day after getting this notice, K-Electric started the process of declaring force majeure from July 29 onward due to its inability to meet performance standards and contractual obligations because of circumstances beyond its control.

The utility told the regulator said that Rule 10 of Nepra Performance Standards (Distribution) Rules, 2005 allows for taking such a step. The company said to submit a detailed report along with force majeure request within 14 days as allowed under Rule 10(3) of the Nepra rules.