Electricity has gone kaput in Karachi again! Monday\u2019s massive outage in the port city came on the heels of a blackout that plunged the country into blanket darkness last month.
\nThis latest spell of power woes defies all logic because summer has not yet hit Karachi and resultantly, there is still enough capacity available to meet the electricity demand. More frustrating is the nonchalance shown by the sole power utility corporation, K-Electric, in the face of such outages. In winters, it calls out the Sui gas corporation for creating a gas shortage. Summer months see the utility claim crippling outages as an unavoidable circumstance of the widening gap between demand and supply. If it\u2019s not the heavy rains disrupting transmission line in the monsoon season, K-E conveniently finds time to blame the shortage of furnace oil. It wouldn\u2019t be wrong to believe that K-E\u2019s performance in the last several years has been underwhelming at best and criminally negligent at worst.
\nLast year, when most civic authorities were busy trying to come up with measures to alleviate the agony of masses braving the virus pandemic, business continued as usual at Karachi\u2019s power corporation. There were the same arduous hours of blackouts. The governing body continued its neglect of electric installations during the monsoon season, due to which at least 12 lives were lost last June. A year earlier, around 19 had died from electrocution in Karachi. But no amount of \u201cserious notice(s)\u201d or legal proceedings taken against K-Electric has forced it to even claim responsibility for its misdoings let alone value the sanctity of human life.
\nNevertheless, it is not just the company that is at fault. The Sindh government is equally responsible for regulating the electric power sector in the province. A major economic hub like Karachi definitely deserves access to a smooth and uninterrupted supply of electricity. Time and again, the National Electric Regulatory Authority has come up with putting an end to the disastrous monopoly of K-Electric in Karachi and adjoining areas. Exasperated by excessive load-shedding, billing and safety issues, the city\u2019s business community has also suggested stepping in with a new power generation and distribution company. Unfortunately, the provincial government has not shown any interest in redressing the power woes of its financial capital.
\nAmid the constant blame-game between the Sindh and federal government, Karachiites continue to suffer as they are forced to purchase electricity from the only option available on the table. Given the ongoing round of discussions to end K-E\u2019s exclusivity, why haven\u2019t those at the helm come to any workable model as of yet?
\nThere is a glaring dearth of research and professional advice when it comes to finding ways to fix the poorly-run power sector. Constant tightening of purse strings as far as developing infrastructure or finding alternative fuel solutions are concerned can only give half-baked solutions. Whether the government facilitates new energy providers to enter Karachi\u2019s market, it should at least be stern in holding the utility\u2019s feet to fire when it comes to caring for its citizens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Electricity has gone kaput in Karachi again! Monday\u2019s massive outage in the port city came on the heels of a blackout that plunged the country into blanket darkness last month. This latest spell of power woes defies all logic because summer has not yet hit Karachi and resultantly, there is still enough capacity available to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-175152","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n