Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has failed to minimise the power shortages, compelling Karachiites to brave 5 to 6 hours long loadshedding daily. The company is yet to restore electric supply from KANUPP, which was shut down due to some technical fault 12 days ago.
The zero supply from it has also increased the shortfall in the company's supply, sources told Business Recorder on Wednesday. They said the supply from Defence Cogan Ltd (DCL), which normally generates around 90 MW, has also been at zero for the some few weeks.
They said the current demand of electricity in the city has increased to 1950 MW and the total supply of KESC was no more than 1500 MW, leaving a shortfall of 450 MW. The company, they said, was still not generating to full capacity from its Bin Qasim units and was using minimum fuel to save money. The current demand would have been easily met if the public utility had utilised the requisite furnace oil for power generation.
The power supply, the sources said, from Gul Ahmad and Tapal, the two Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were supplying only 50 and 60 MW respectively out of their total capacity of 90 MW. They said that the management seems not serious about the grave situation of power supply in the city.
The sources also said that Abraaj Capital, the new management, had claimed investing Rs 31 billion in the public utility for the improvement of the power situation in the metropolis, but it has practically showed no progress in this regard so far. "The company has not received a single penny from the new management as investment so far," they said.
There were reports of hours long power outages three to four times in a day in different areas of the metropolis, like Liaqatabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, PIB Colony, Keamari, Sadar, Malir Cantt, Shah Faisal Coloney, Lasbella, Tariq Road, Clifton, DHA, North Nazimabad, Korangi etc , sources said. However, when asked, Ayesha Erabie, official spokesperson of KESC, said the electricity demand on Wednesday was 1950 MW while the shortfall was only of 225 MW.