KESC starts 16-hour industrial loadshedding

The Nation


KARACHI – The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has started 16 hours industrial loadshedding due to shortage of gas supply from Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC).

The spokesman of the KESC said the utility on Sunday afternoon suffered complete discontinuation of gas supply from SSGC, causing huge deficit in power generation which has totally been shifted to furnace oil now. He said all the generations plants could not be run on oil. Most of the units are gas-fired. Therefore, the utility has been constrained to start loadshedding in industrial areas while it is trying to maintain the normal schedule of residential and commercial areas.

The SSGC was already supplying curtailed quantity to KESC when the SSGC forced total stoppage of the supply despite KESC’s efforts. Due to that the KESC had no choice but to start load shedding in the industrial areas for 16 hours during the day in each of four groups in rotation he informed. He said it is worth mentioning here that for last 18 months industrial areas were completely exempted from any loadshedding. He further informed that KESC’s winter requirement was at least 140 MMCFD but the utility had been sustaining operations at around 60 MMCFD average for a long time. However, finally the gas supply has been totally stopped.


KESC deserves to get top priority for gas supply given that it supplies electricity to 20 million people in Karachi, and thousands of national Industries based in the metropolis. On the contrary, KESC continues to be ranked right at the bottom in terms of gas allocation, which is unfair and discriminatory he complained.

He further spoke that although we have seen the worst crises due to curtail of Gas but due to the bad law and order situation, the administration have selected to start industrial load shedding rather than increase of domestic and commercial load shedding.

On the other side, the spokesman of the SSGC said SSGC facing acute shortfall of natural gas mainly due to decreased gas supplies from the gas producer of different fields and increased demand by domestic costumers due to winter season.

He said due to this SSGC have compelled to curtail the supply of gas to KESC from 60mmcfd to 30 mmcfd. The source of the KESC disclosed that due to the acute shortage of the gas the electricity crises would go up to 20 hours of load shedding while the industrial and commercial sectors have also been severely affected by the problem.

Ashura arrangements - No load-shedding for 2 days: KESC

Power utility contradicts city administrator’s claims on Muharram

arrangements.

KARACHI: There will be no load-shedding on the 9th and 10th of Muharram Thursday and Friday, announced the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) in a press release on Wednesday.

In order to make sure that majalis or mourning gathering in all major imambargarhs take place smoothly, KESC has also exempted 150 feeders from load-shedding after 6 pm during the first eight days of Muharram. The list of these feeders and other arrangements were finalised in a meeting between KESC, city government officials and police officials on November 27, said the statement.

The officials were informed that all areas of the city will be exempted from load-shedding on December 16 and December 17.

The power utility company made all Muharram-specific arrangements in collaboration with the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and the provincial administration. Since the city administrator Lala Fazlur Rehman denied these arrangements at a news conference on Tuesday, KESC officials expressed their surprise in the press release.

The KESC statement further explained that officials of the company and CDGK representatives finalised Muharram arrangements on December 14. They surveyed feeding points for streetlights that fall on the routes of major Ashura processions. According to the survey, 54 streetlight switches were checked on Tuesday and there are 31 feeders supplying electricity to them.

KESC has also deployed special teams to remain on standby at all major points to provide maintenance services when required. Around 20 mobile generators have also been provided at important locations to meet any emergencies. KESC teams will also accompany main mourning processions along their entire routes as well.

Medical blocks

Even doctors have not been exempted from the extra security measures taken ahead of 9th and 10th Muharram. The police have refused to issue security passes to doctors of all hospitals situated along MA Jinnah Road, including Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), because of security reasons.

MA Jinnah Road has been closed for three days for traffic while shops and markets along the road have been sealed in view of security arrangements for the Ashura processions. Security officials closed all entry and exit points by placing containers, erecting barriers and parking buses and water tankers.

Dozens of vehicles of the Rangers, police, intelligence agencies and ambulances have been issued special stickers so that they have access to the routes of the main mourning procession.

According to sources, the administration of CHK and Police Surgeon Office had submitted applications asking for security passes for their doctors and paramedical staff but the police told them that they could not issue passes to such a large number of hospital staff.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmad said he was going to ask the home secretary to allow the doctors to cross MA Jinnah Road. However, there is also the possibility of using other routes to get to their hospitals, he added.

Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza directed police to ensure deployment of special commandos of the Anti-Terrorism Force on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. Mirza directed the Capital City Police Officer Karachi, regional police officers of Sukkur and Hyderabad to remain in contact with the senior officials of Rangers. He also imposed a ban on wall chalking and provocative banners and pamphlets.

Hospitals on red alert

The major tertiary care hospitals in Karachi have chalked out contingency plans for the three crucial days of Muharram. Karachi police have deputed a contingent of 20 policemen at the CHK from 8th Muharram to the 10th of Muharram.

CHK Medical Superintendent Prof Said Qureshi said CHK is very close to the route of the processions and was prepared to handle any situation. “CHK security guards, comprising around 100 trained personnel, will be performing their duties in two shifts,” he said.

Tribune