Karachi electricity in shambles once more after 30-minute rain

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)


Karachi has had a history of power breakdowns as soon as the first drop of rain arrives in the city over the years.

Primarily because of the electricity issues and then because of the lack of infrastructure for drainage and sewage the residents of the metropolis have remained fearful of rain although it’s a huge blessing from Nature. 

The first monsoon rainfall of 2020 on July 6 was made equally frightening by the power failures. Although it had rained for only half an hour or so, the city had gone out of power for more than 12 hours in many localities. 

The entire city was jolted by the loss of electricity immediately upon the arrival of rain and people were denied the pleasure of enjoying what could have been a pleasant afternoon after some horribly hot and humid days. 

K-Electric became the villain once more as people from every nook and corner of Karachi expressed their displeasure and anger at the power breakdown which continued for many hours. The whole system seemed to have crashed and collapsed within minutes. 

The social media was flooded with messages and photographs of the fallen electricity poles and wires which resulting in causing great inconvenience to the people of Karachi, beside taking away electricity from their houses, apartments and offices. Even the transformers were displaced at a few places.

It has happened literally every time in Karachi whenever the initial drops of rain plunge the whole city into darkness.

It’s quite amazing how consistently it continues to happen and no remedial actions are taken despite the fact that the cost of electricity has skyrocketed with the passage of time.

It has mattered little whether it was the now defunct Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC) or the newly named K-Electric, the citizens of Karachi have suffered every time rain has dropped in the city.

KESC had fared as miserably in serving the people when it was in the public sector. Little progress, if any, has been witnessed even after the takeover by a private party and as we could see again on July 6, there seem no prospects of any change in their performance.

Doesn’t seem it strange that the hugely resourceful K-Electric is unable to provide the desired services to its customers?

Isn’t it a pity that they couldn’t devise any strategy to ensure uninterrupted power when the monsoon rain was very much on the cards?

There are many cities and towns in this world which receive showers throughout the year but they hardly ever witness any power failure. It’s really a tragedy that a city as big and as significant as Karachi has struggled to have electricity on rainy days.