KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said he will take up the matter of loadshedding with K-Electric and action will be taken against it if considered appropriate, as the general consensus is that power loadshedding has multiplied the death toll from the current heatwave.

The death toll from the heatwave in the province was unprecedented indicating that there must be some lapses and some neglect somewhere on someone’s part, which had caused so many deaths in Sindh, especially in Karachi, said the chief minister while speaking in the provincial assembly, which was in its sixth day of general discussion on the Budget 2015-16 on Tuesday.

The session was adjourned to mourn the tragic death of hundreds of people.

Action against KE pledged; MQM and PPP differ over early markets closure for power conservation

Earlier, the chief minister said the government shared the grief with the bereaved families and said the opinion prevailing inside and outside the house was that power loadshedding had multiplied the crisis.

He said that the electric supply was federal government subject and the privatised K-Electric was also under the control of the federal government. He said he would take up the issue with the authorities concerned for initiating necessary action against the privatised power utility, which had been thriving on resorting to loadshedding in Karachi.

The chief minister said he had been away from the provincial capital to Larkana in connection with the birth anniversary of the late prime minister Benazir Bhutto, but as soon as he came to know about the deaths from the heatwave, he ordered senior officials, including the chief secretary, to take necessary steps on an emergency basis to mitigate the situation.

He said the commissioners and deputy commissioners were directed to open emergency relief centres in their districts to treat heatstroke patients. Similarly, the provincial disaster management authority should have taken necessary measures to deal with the present crisis as this organisation was not meant to respond to floods and quakes only.

He said 200 people had died in areas other than Karachi as the maximum temperature there soared to 48 degrees Celsius.

The chief minister said he had announced a public holiday for all offices, except for the establishments engaged in essential services, across the province for Tuesday to avoid life losses from the heatwave.

Talking about the measures for electricity conservation, he said he had ordered power supply to advertising hoardings, billboards and neon-signs be suspended, markets be closed at 9pm, and alternate streetlights be switched off.

Besides, he said he had ordered relevant officials that free of cost supply of 3,000 water tankers be provided to water-starved areas of Karachi on a daily basis. At present, between 1,200 and 1,500 water tankers were being supplied to the areas. He explained that he had ordered that such water tankers be stationed near every major roundabout and street corner so that people facing water shortage could fetch water free of cost.

Leader of the opposition in the assembly, Khwaja Izharul Hassan, offering regrets and grief over the loss of life said that the government should set up a helpline for the people to assist them in the current heatwave.

He said that the closure of markets and bazaars at 9pm was not a durable solution to power loadshedding. He said K-Electric did not deserve any leniency, as the company was bound to provide required production of electricity.

Mr Hassan said there was no space left in mortuaries to keep bodies. He said a state of emergency be announced at major graveyards where the bereaved families were currently being exploited to pay exorbitant charges for burial.

He said steps should be taken on a war-footing basis for the provision of stretchers, drips and towels necessary for treating heatstroke patients at Jinnah and Abbasi Shaheed hospitals as well as all other major hospitals. He said major hospitals be exempted from loadshedding.

He urged the management of private air-conditioned banquet halls in the city to voluntarily provide their halls to non-governmental organiSations in the health sector, which could open temporary centres for the treatment of heatstroke patients.

He said the government should show no mercy towards K-Electric when vast parts of the city including North Karachi, North Nazimabad, Surjani, and Orangi areas had been without electricity till Tuesday morning. He said the field officials of K-Electric should sit in their offices, duly attend to their duties and properly supervise operations of power utility’s teams for rectification of faults in electricity distribution systems.

Earlier, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, who called the house in order at 11.40am, and Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza said they were in a state of shock and expressed grief over the loss of lives from the heatwave and power loadshedding. Before the session was adjourned till Wednesday 10am, the house also offered Fateha for the departed souls, particularly the victims of heatwave.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2015

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