KARACHI - Karachi-Electric (K-Electric) on Friday claimed that situation of power supply in city would improve within next 24 hours and the issue would be resolved fully within 48 hours after the federal government assured to provide additional fuel to the power company from the HUBCO.
During a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of K-Electric Monis Abdullah Alvi at Governor House, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail expressed his anger over excessive and unannounced loadshedding in the city in the past few days.
The governor while terming excessive loadshedding injustice with citizens of Karachi directed the CEO to provide relief to the masses on immediate basis.
He further said that additional gas was being provided to K-Electric by the federal government, however, the emergence of such a situation was a matter of concern. Governor said that additional furnace oil would be provided to K-Electric from Hubco.
“We will be providing excessive fuel to the K-Electric from Hubco to overcome fuel shortage,” he said adding that the government was also ready to provide additional 500 megawatts to the KE, however, it was not possible after the power company failed to upgrade its system to that extent.
Speaking on the occasion, the power company’s CEO said that the Tapal and Gul Ahmed power supply stations were unable to provide electricity to the K-Electric, causing a shortfall in the system.
“After new assurances from the government, we will improve the situation within 24 hours and will completely overcome it within the next 48 hours,” the CEO said. It is pertinent to mention here that the K-Electric continued to create problems for the citizens, a majority of whom are staying at their homes due to smart lockdown enforced in the city, worst affected from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The power supply company carried out upto 12 hours of unannounced loadshedding in the city that led the violent mobs ransacking the power supply installations in the city.
Political parties including Jamaat-i-Islami, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, ruling Pakistan People’s Party in the Sindh province had demanded of the federal government to take notice of the unannounced loadshedding. JI and MQM-P had also held protest demos against the power supply company over unannounced loadshedding and excessive billing.
Moreover, those who had remained indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic and students who were involved in online classes suffered most due to the unannounced loadshedding in the city by the power company. Muhammad Bilal, a resident of Metroville-III locality in District East said his son, studying in fifth grade had to face serious disruptions during his online classes due to unannounced loadshedding.
“He was unable to take his lessons during the online class,” he said.
A resident of Liaquatabad area, Muhammad Umair also compalined that on one hand the government had placed their locality under lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic and on the other hand they had to face upto 12 hours of unananounced loadshedding.
“How could we remain indoors in such a situation,” he said while demanding the government to register cases against the K-Electric administration for spreading COVID-19 pandemic due to its policies.
Meanwhile, a senior member of Sindh cabinet, Jam Ikramullah Dharejo Friday appealed the federal government to resolve the issue of electricity load shedding being faced by the domestic as well as industrial clients of K-Electric. In a statement, the provincial minister for industries and commerce said the load shedding could cause massive economic loss to the industrial and business sectors with its implications on the national economy thus needed to be urgently handled by all stakeholders. Emphasizing that the situation is also extremely traumatic for the citizens in general exposed to the challenge of COVID-19, coupled with almost unprecedented surge in temperature and humidity, the minister said the fact that this is leading towards emotional disturbance and compromised health conditions for the masses cannot be ignored.
Dharejo, who also heads the cooperative and anti-corruption department said the provincial government opes that the federal government would play its due role and help get resolved the issue.