Soon after the rain began to fall, the city faced load shedding due to improper functioning of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) power stations, making the whole rainy day miserable for the citizens.
One of the six units at Bin Qasim power plant broke down for some "technical faults," and the KESC engineers failed to remove these "faults" and restore smooth power supply to its consumers. The KESC faced shortfall of 350 MW power supply, resulting in continuous load shedding across the metropolis.
On the other hand, about 250 feeders were tripped and 80 cables damaged in rain in various parts of the city, which cut off power to a large number of areas.
Transformers at Gizri, Landhi and North Karachi grid station were collapsed.
Residents of several areas of the city, including Hassan Square, Liaquatabad, North Karachi, Landhi, Korangi, Agra Taj, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Sohrab Goth, Lyari, Nazimabad, Saddar, I I Chundrigar Road, North Karachi, Nazimabad and Federal "B" Area suffered prolonged power breakdowns. Besides, industries suffered millions of rupees financial losses as a result of persistent power failure during rain.
In Korangi industrial area, the situation was no different as it also faced prolonged power failure.
Power failures disturbed the overall industrial production schedule, said Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Chairman Masood Naqi. He criticised the KESC administration, saying if it was not able to provide the city with required power supply by overcoming the present crisis, the industrialists would be compelled to make investments in other cities.
He said that more than 25 percent industries remained closed due to power failure in Korangi industrial area, causing a loss of more than Rs 250 million on this day.
"Power failure caused 25 percent decrease in productivity, while production cost increased four to five percent due to increased use of power generators", he added. "Power failure always hit the small industries badly, making them close down their production," Masood maintained.