Karachi plunges into power crisis as K-Electric announces phased load shedding amid LNG shortage
Karachi, October 10
Karachi is bracing for further electricity disruptions after K-Electric announced phased power cuts across the city, with pressure on its power network reportedly increasing due to overloading and a shortage of liquefied natural gas, as reported by ARY News.
According to ARY News, the decision to introduce scheduled outages has raised concerns among residents already grappling with unreliable electricity supplies in Karachi. The utility has reportedly planned one-hour power cuts in different phases, while feeders connected to several grid stations have been switched off, disrupting electricity supplies across multiple neighbourhoods. Several parts of Karachi have experienced outages as the power distribution system struggles to cope with mounting pressure. The affected areas include Saddar, Clifton, Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Korangi, where residents have faced interruptions to their electricity supply. The disruptions have also extended to Orangi, Liaquatabad, North Karachi, North Nazimabad, Malir, Landhi, SITE, Baldia and Maripur.
Residents in these localities have reported power cuts as the utility implements measures to manage the strain on its network. Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Hadeed and Scheme 33 have also been affected, while parts of the Old City area and Razzaqabad have reportedly experienced severe outages, as cited by ARY News.
The latest disruptions are linked to the pressure on K-Electric's generation and distribution system, with the reported LNG shortage emerging as a key factor behind the difficulties in maintaining a stable electricity supply, as reported by ARY News.
Meanwhile, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has taken action against K-Electric (KE) over its practice of carrying out load-shedding on feeders based on aggregate technical and commercial (ATC) losses.
NEPRA has declared such load-shedding illegal and directed K-Electric to immediately stop unannounced power outages carried out on the basis of feeder losses. The regulator maintained that consumers who regularly pay their electricity bills should not have their supply suspended simply because they are connected to feeders with high losses, as cited by ARY News.
— ANI
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