KARACHI, Aug 27: The city of more than 14 million people and the economic hub of Pakistan plunged into long hours of darkness on Wednesday due to the persistent load-shedding resorted to by the Karachi Electric Supply Company.

The KESC’s generation remained almost at the level of Tuesday, but no one from the utility offered any regrets to the consumers nor did it take any corrective measures.

While the total demand for electricity in the city was around 2,200MW, the KESC faced a shortfall of about 700MW, causing prolonged load-shedding, which left many areas without light for more than four to five hours.

Two units of the Bin Qasim Thermal Power Plant are not operational due to unspecified faults. The other four units of the BQTP were churning out about 600MW in different time spans. Units 1 and 4 of the BQTP have been shut down while Unit 2 is producing a little over 150MW. Unit 3 was giving 115MW, Unit 5 was given 170MW output, while Unit 6 has been giving 165MW power supply.

The availability of power supply from the Defence Cogen desalination plant and the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant was zero, which aggravated the power supply situation in the city to the utter inconvenience of the consumers.

The Korangi gas turbines of the KESC were shut down for more than 72 hours.

Unit 4 of the Korangi Thermal Power Station has been immobilised while its other generation units were giving 80MW, instead of the desired 160MW electricity.

Meanwhile, residents from across the city complained that the KESC complaint centres were not responding to their complaints and had not attended the faults that had developed several days earlier in the 11KV and other transmission and distribution system.

People are also suffering because the utility managers have not invested in system development and have even siphoned out the money the government had given to the private owners.

The continuing load-shedding has affected not only economic activity in the city but has also negatively impacted the social life of people.

Reports from many parts of the city suggested that there was no electricity for six to eight hours in many parts of the city. The areas hit by prolonged outages included Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Johar, Shanti Nagar, Safoora Goth, Lyari, Korangi, Sachal Goth, Bhitaiabad, Landhi, Malir and even Defence.

The load-shedding has inflicted huge losses on industrialists, who have been compelled to use power generators to run their industries.

The businesses in Saddar, Tariq Road, Jamia Cloth and other big markets have also been badly affected by the prolonged power outages.

Patients in hospitals were also hit by power outages but the authorities concerned were simply not moving to rescue the people. There have been scattered violent protests against the massive power outage across the city.

The overall installed capacity of the Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station is 1260MW. It comprises six units. Four units are Hitachi of Japan make and two units are Ansaldo, Italy made, of 210MW each. Units 1 and 2 were commissioned for commercial operation in 1983Unit 3 in 1990, Units 4 and 5 in 1991 and Unit 6 in 1998. At present these units are operational, but are producing reduced generation mainly due to poor vacuum in condensers of almost all units. The condensers tubes are often fouled because of silt and scaling.

Major problems were noted in its various units and it was found that the unit control system of Units 1 to 5 is obsolete. On many occasions there have been problems of re-heater tubes leakage. Its HP/LP bypass system was also found defective on many occasions. The high-pressure feed water heaters were also found out of order by the special committee instituted by the government last year. Booster pumps of boiler feed pumps of Unit 3 had also developed high vibration. The generator excitation system is obsolete. The condenser-fouling and cooling circulating water pumps were old and worn out. The dredger at the intake of water channel was also found out of service.

The official committee had made drastic improvement and set up new power generating plants, but the same were not implemented by the privatised management, which has resulted in the technical knockout of the power utility in the city.