KARACHI, June 23: One of the 35 grid stations of the KESC caught fire on Saturday as monsoon showers with gusty winds played havoc with the utility’s decaying distribution system causing widespread power outage.

A vast area of the city remained plunged into darkness after sunset, despite claims to the contrary by KESC Director Operations Adnan Bashir Khan.

According to sources, fire broke out in Orangi grid station neutralising seven other grid stations that plunged major part of the city into darkness. Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Federal B Area, North Karachi, Orangi and the adjoining areas remained without power for several hours. This was in addition to sniping of wires and uprooting of electric poles in many localities.

In addition, KESC faced generation shortage as its flagship Bin Qasim was generating only 595MW by sunset and Korangi Thermal Power Plant along with Tapal were off. Supply from Hubco was also interrupted due to tripping in Valika. Owing to this the KESC was only receiving 270MW from WAPDA from Jamshoro Circuit instead of 700MW. The KESC Director Operations claimed that grid stations and feeders had been closed to protect the system from rains.

With the first drop of rain the KESC shut down its 35 grid stations and more than 400 feeders, 30 per cent of the feeders were closed due to tripping while the rest were closed as a precautionary measure. The KESC Director Operations claimed that except for 10 grid stations all were reactivated. But the areas served by the reactivated grids were still in darkness. “This could be due to local faults,” he claimed, however, he had no answer as to who would rectify those faults.

While uprooted poles, broken electric wires were lying on roads, the KESC was still unable to identify them and take measures to secure the area.

Residents of Boat Basin and other parts of Clifton complained about snapping of wires and uprooting of electric poles. Similar complaints were also received from Khayban-i-Janbaz, Defence Phase-V, Khyaban-i-Shaheen and Khyaban-i-Sehar. The situation on Sharea Faisal and Shahrah-i-Quaideen, Shah Faisal Colony and Malir was no different. They said KESC’s 118 and all rain emergency numbers were not responding.

When the KESC Director Operations was finally approached on his cell phone, he claimed all the landline numbers were working. When his attention was drawn to the complaint of general public, he put the blame on Mobilink saying that emergency numbers starting with 0307 were hooked on this code.

The KESC had publicised the following numbers: 9207177, 9207178, 0307-2392269, 0307-2392263, 0307-2392267, 0307-2475372, 0307-2392268, 0307-2392264, 0307-2392271, 0307-2392270, 0307-2392272, 0307-2392265, and 0307-2392273.