KARACHI, Aug 25: As many areas of the city remained without electricity for over five hours on Monday, the shareholders’ association of the utility slammed the proposed increase in power tariff and massive power outages everyday, maintaining that it would force most industries to relocate outside Pakistan.

It was the second day when the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) faced electricity shortages to the tune of over 600MW, forcing it to resort to load-shedding three to four times during the last 24 hours.

There were certain residential areas of the city which remained without electricity for nine hours.

Residents of North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Malir, Saddar, Clifton have complained about agonising spells of load-shedding during the last three days.

Even on Sunday when the demand for power in the city remains well under control due to closure of business, commercial activities due to weekend, the dwellers of Karachi were subjected to more than one spells of electricity load-shedding.

The nightlong spells of load shedding have been causing serious restlessness to inhabitants of the affected areas.

Sources said it was due to failure of the utility to address the problems of Bin Qasim power plant that the KESC was unable to bridge the widening gap between demand and supply.

Instead of its desired electricity generation output of 1160MW, it is generating 650MW which is far below the requirement that ranges around 2100MW.

At least one thermal generating unit of the Bin Qasim plant is non-functional for the last one week.

Moreover, non-availability of power from the Defence Cogen desalination plant and Karachi Nuclear Power Plant has been aggravating the situation of power generation and supply in the city.

Power generation from Kanupp tripped around midday on Aug 22.

Expressing concern over the present state of affairs of the utility, which is without a CEO, secretary-general of the Shareholders Association, Choudhry Mazhar, said that the proposed increase in power tariff would also result in increased electricity theft which would also adversely affect the utility, and those industrialists who genuinely want to pay would close their businesses and shift to other parts of the country, or even abroad.

Chaudhry Mazhar claimed that the theft of electricity which is the main cause of destruction of the company is being done by consumers with the connivance of KESC staff. He called for stern action against such elements.

He claimed that more than 8,000 check meters were installed on transformers at different places in the city to reduce theft of electricity, but nobody has ever bothered to take reading of those meters.

On the other hand, proposals were given to procure and install AMR meters to enable the concerned staff to take the reading while sitting in their offices.

He maintained that due to worsening situation of operation and maintenance, transmission and distribution losses were more than 33 per cent.

He pointed out that the company changed hands thrice during the last three years, and all those managing its affairs indulged only in personal gains and allegedly did nothing to improve its performance.

As a result, he alleged, the company, which acquired a loan of Rs47 billion, has to pay more than Rs48 billion to various organisations.