The intense heatwave in Karachi has exposed the vulnerabilities in K-Electric’s power supply system. Widespread outages have disrupted daily life, leaving residents without electricity for up to sixteen hours in some areas.
The city's electrical infrastructure, compromised by corroded and outdated PMTs and feeders, has struggled under the pressure. The situation has been exacerbated by copper thieves damaging the system, leading to repeated overloads and tripping. Unannounced load-shedding, purportedly for fault correction and repair, has further strained the lives of Karachi's citizens.
The most affected are the sick, elderly, children, and women, whose well-being has been jeopardized by K-Electric's apparent indifference during this heatwave. Businesses and industries are also suffering, with hourly load-shedding causing daily financial losses amounting to crores of rupees.
Despite the crisis, K-Electric claims that seventy percent of the city remains free from load-shedding, a statement that many residents find hard to believe given their prolonged power outages. The power company’s stance that supply depends on recovery and losses has not alleviated the frustrations of Karachi's 3 crore citizens.
Citizens are now urging the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to take decisive action against K Electric to address these pressing issues and bring relief to the city.
The call for accountability and immediate solutions continues to grow louder as Karachiites endure one of the worst periods of load-shedding in recent history.
