Karachiites in many parts of the city continue to suffer without electricity, as power has yet to be fully restored after a fault developed on the main supply lines on Wednesday evening. In some areas, power has been returning sporadically on Thursday afternoon only for short intervals.
At workplaces across the city, employees are yawning, complaining about the stifling, sleepless night they had to endure. People are comparing the longevity of their generators and UPS devices. Others are calling their homes and friends at 15-minute intervals to find out if the electricity is back yet. In some areas, power has not been restored for almost 20 hours.
More importantly, patients in government hospitals such as JPMC and Civil cannot avail of proper treatment until the electricity returns. And, as pumping stations need power to supply water, an acute water shortage looms in various areas.
Frustrated, over-heated residents are beginning to vent their anger through street protests and by thronging KESC complaint centres. Not surprisingly, KESC phone lines are continuously busy and staff have locked up their offices to go under cover.
Rather than complaining to friends and colleagues, Dawn.com invites you to share your blackout story on this forum. How are you coping without electricity? Has the power been restored in your neighbourhood? How did this power outage inconvenience you or your workplace? What is the longest amount of time you have gone without electricity?
What is happening with in KESC is really an example of understanding the reality what goes around in the real world. Some facts; Load shedding for 6-8 hours daily but rise in electric tariff for people. KESC was sold to Abhraj group who asked another sub group to take care of KESC. The ground rule was to improve the overall power generation/ increase production and decrease load shedding time. On top of every thing, the top liners of KESC thought the best way is to get rid of all permanent officers, get rid of their benefits and this is the way to save money. So if you fire every one who has been with company for the last 20+ years and hire new people just because they belong to some party and have no experience to run a big company like KESC- would that run the company better. They have already fired 600 permanent officers of different levels and plan to basically fire all 8000 patients. My God, I have yet to see any newspaper or media talk about this issue. What actually is happening is very interesting and unfortunately is the reality of how media in Pakistan behaves when it comes to money and power. All powerful parties of the area are quiet though been contacted by employees?? why- I sincerely would like to see our media do show some sincerity to the people of Karachi and for that matter to Pakistan.
hi
miracles do happen ,its blessing in disguise .After all we are enjoying electricity after 24 hours at the expense of blown bulbs ,and other electrical devices
we need some one to tackle this problem other wise governament is interested in creating new issues to distract ourselves from the already existing problems. please have a mercy on us be serious and solve this gigantic problem at the ealiest.
As a constant well-wisher of Pakistan, the electrical power shortfalls and the ensuing power outages are causing some concern.
Not only is the sufficient flow of electricity essential for the health and well-being of the citizenry and imperative for all kinds of industries, but it is absolutely necessary for the very security of the country.
I am no expert on military affairs, but Pakistan has made itself vulnerable to its enemies by this power shortfall.
It is surprising that the nation’s armed forces are not tasked with building power plants on an emergency basis and installing other power sources to keep up with the growing demand.
I’m sick of this scenerio and want politicians to solve this problem ASAP
To,
Manzoor A. Khan (Dallas, USA),
You may personally invite them to take part in the disscussion and share their thoughts concerning the issue, but let me suggest, had you gone through the responses under the topic, you would have found a lot of good and amazing answers and clues.
Forgive me for being off the mark.
People like Imran Khan , Hamid GUl , Qazi Hussain or Mula Fazal Rehman may be asked to suggest solution to this problem. They have answers to all our ills,they might therefore help us out here too.
If the water treaties between Pakistan and India had been honoured, no such power outage would have ever occurred in the first place.
The people should not worry too much about their domestic use; instead, the main worry is the damage in the manufacturing and commercial sectors respectively.
Personal discomfort is truly affecting the quality of life too, but please! bear with that as a sacrifice for the time being.
The importance of the power supply, however, cannot be over-emphasized as the condition poses a serious threat to the national economy.
Following options would address the problem:
1. The government should seriously think about adding the solar power as a back up support.
2. The foreign power companies should be hired urgently to kick-start the stalled system caused by ongoing power outages throughout the country.
3. Speed up the process to implement the civil Nuclear Technology as offered by France.
4. Impose harsh penalties to those who steal electricity.
5. No mercy for any criminal stealing should be extended to anyone.
Pakistan is a luxury country.
The power generation companies like luxury even more… they do not take the pain to go out and fix the problem in their network.
Why would they need to take the pain…. Even if they completely shut down electricity for 25 days of the month, they would generate higher revenues as compared to the previous month… Thanks to their magical revenue generator formula… which runs even without power.
We generate most of our electricity by oil instead of very cheap alternates like water, wind, coal and sun.
Can we afford being friviously luxury?
Sirs, this powerless problem is everywhere in south asian countries. We in India also suffer most of the time. The politicians will plan only for their future but not country’s. How many TVs, Washing Machines, Refrigerators, Mixies, New Homes are sold every month in a country and where from power come for these equipments. The best and immediate remedy is to harness solar energy which is abundant in South Asia.
It is uncontrolled urban growth not only in Karachi but urban growth problem exist all over urban centers where the utilities can not keep up with growth. Every one points fingers at the government and I have never seen or heard blaming those who are responsible for creating conditions that result into crisis of Bijli, Paani, Schools, municipal services etc. It is simple arithmetic that when urban development grows at faster rate than production and supply capacity of utilities, crisis will result.
Government and its units will function normal only when people and the government stop madness of growth and plan for production of Bijli, Paani, sanitary facilities, schools, police services municipal services etc., before allowing any growth/construction requiring utilities and other services.
Pakistan has many challenges. But in this case people are overreacting. I live in Dallas, USA and during the recent storms our entire neighbourhood was without electricity for 28 hours.
The government should be judged incompetent not based on episodic failure (which can happen in any part of the world) but for those failures that are so persistent that people don’t even expect anything better.
I’ve been seriously thinking about alternative energies in our neighborhood.
Get independent. Go Solar. Get the communities together and share the initial capital costs and purchase.
I’ve only floated the idea, but I’m hoping I can get others to be more receptive. Haven’t had a look in great detail though.
This quip from the comedian Jay Leno is for the years of both Pak and India soon after India did the Nuclear blast.
The Indian Prime minister announced with great pride ” We are now aNuclear Power. NOW LET US FIX THE INDOOR PLUMBING
In spire of so much intelligence, the sub continent is so behind is juat embarrasing.
naveen for God sakes please dont compare us to india regardless of before or after independence
they have areas equivalent to the size of our entire country that are not connected to electricity
but that is besides the point. The point is that swift action needs to be taken. I mean this is ridiculous that we are a nuclear country but still facing such a crisis.
We need an array of solutions. First of all, the power companies and the debt they have accumulated need to be paid off (govt/banks/whoever need to step in).
We do have projects with the Greeks and Chinese to invest in electricity projects. We need to do more to promote investment (which will ONLY come if we can restore bloody security and law and order situation). We immediately need to start building dams, wind energy and other projects (using coal as well??)
Karachi is the financial capital of Pakistan. IF the industry suffers, the economy suffers enormously. People suffer because they cant work efficiently when they are tired and hot. Students cant work properly in schools for the same reason.
This is a time for introspection (it could be a good learning experience for us). But at the same time, this is time for bloody action.
We are facing enough problems as it is. The government and is under severe pressure to do something about loadshedding issue, so they should do whatever it is they gotta do.
p.s. on a good note, the Chinese and POSSIBLY the French are willing to sell us nuclear fuel and invest in nuclear civilian energy in Pakistan. Let us pray to God that this materializes.
Inshallah.
-Warm Regards from Parachinar, NWFP.
WHEN THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY IN KARACHI, IT IS CALLED CRISIS. WHEN THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY IN 70% OF THE COUNTRY, IT’S ok
For heavens sake nations progress, yet we find Pakistan moves fron one crisis to another yet our politicians enjoy life and luxury whilst we bake under the sun and sweat it out at night.
Inshallah, after the promised transfer of the commercial Nuclear technology by France;all grievances of the gentle citizens of Pakistan will be resolved. Future is magnificent……….Summa Aamin!
Wow Nice going KESC.
The people who manage and run kesc should be held accountable and then give the contract to a private organization who can run this company. They don’t do anything at all but sit all day long and when the time comes to fix something they lock their door and hide.
Pakistan has been destroyed by people like these.
Now that i have vented all my anger,Please Pakistanis stand up, stand up for yourself and get rid of these people and also talibans as well while you are at it.
I better stop before i break my laptop.
PEACE
It was very hard time for me as I have test on sunday. without electricity i felt very annoyance to do anything as i could not ate dinner easily, not sleep properly as i have an exam on sunday. but i appreciate power supplies companies for managing it…
Uh! How terrible … no electricity … my heart goes out for the deep suffering the people of Karachi !
What about the IDPs?
I believe that they are hundreds of thousands of them … for no fault of theirs … no roof, no food, hardly any clothes, no schools … no hope … and above all no blogs to vent their anger!
The bloggers had whole heartedly supported their government and the Army for the action. AND THE WAR MAY LAST MONTHS … IF NOT YEARS !
And … Uh! How terrible … no electricity … my heart goes out for the deep suffering the people of Karachi !
Make your political leaders work. DON’T RELECT THEM!!
Wow! I am so glad to be out of this miserable existance in Karachi we know as life! No electricity for 20 hours??? Nothing much has changed and it has been 10 years out of there for me already…the world moves forward, looks like Pakistan continously moves backward!
All this solar energy, and I wonder why no one, rich or poor, will tap it? How about trapping wind energy?
A nation without electricity and proper water (as well proper consumption of water), cannot and will not move forward. Instead, it will continue to move backward.
I have seen in several cities world wide homeless people sleeping in the street but only in Karachi people with homes hav eto sleep on the street do to power cuts. what a shame !!!!
The benefit of loadsheding is that u can freely enjoy suana bath.Thanks KESC