KARACHI: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has taken strict notice of the city’s persistent load-shedding woes, exacerbated by the non-functioning of K-Electric’s Bin Qasim power plant.
The regulatory body has sent a notice to the city’s sole power supplier, in which it has demanded to know the reasons behind the faulty power plant. Karachi has been facing increased load-shedding after the plant was reported to have tripped last week – a fault that led to power outages even in areas which were previously exempted from load-shedding.
NEPRA, in the notice, has also demanded to know why K-Electric was not able to do better maintenance of its power plants to avoid the tripping.
According to NEPRA sources, two, not one (as previously believed), units of the Bin Qasim plant are not producing electricity. K-Electric is currently supplying 500 megawatts less electricity, the sources added.
The increase in load-shedding hours continued to plague Karachi residents over the weekend, as the shortfall persisted. K-Electric has assured that power supply would get back to normal after the fault in Bin Qasim power plant is fixed. A shortfall of 180 megawatts has been created ever since the power plant tripped, on May 3, the company claimed.
Prior to the power plant mishap, a row between K-Electric and Sui Southern Gas Company over gas supply also resulted in prolonged load-shedding across the metropolis. The dispute was eventually resolved after intervention from the government.
Although the prolonged outages have hindered work at factories, shops, offices and houses, the energy crisis has also come as a major inconvenience to students appearing for exams from various boards.