Pakistanis Protest 42-Hour Power Outage in Karachi By Naween A. Mangi

bloomberg.com

July 20 (Bloomberg) — Pakistanis took to the streets of Karachi to protest a record power outage in the nation’s largest city lasting more than 42 hours, stoning the offices of the local electricity provider and burning tires.

Services were cut at 10 p.m. on July 18 as monsoon rains caused flooding in the commercial hub. At least 33 people were killed in the city as rising waters washed away bridges and caused buildings to collapse at the weekend, GEO television reported on its Web site.

“Every time it rains our houses get flooded and there is no power,” Dinesh Kaneria, an office worker whose area is under water and without electricity, said today.

Crowds gathered across the city chanting slogans against the government and hurling stones at police vans and the offices of Karachi Electric Supply Co. Demonstrations against power outages broke out in cities across the country last month, heaping pressure on the government as it seeks to crush an insurgency by Taliban militants in the northwest.

“Faulty power lines” led to the outage, Chief Executive Officer Naveed Ismail told reporters in Karachi today, without saying when power would be restored. Four grid stations are not operational, he said.

Karachi Electric’s shares, which have risen 35 percent this year, fell 3 percent to 2.91 rupees at 3:14 p.m. on the Karachi Stock Exchange.

The Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition, which came to power in March 2008, says the previous government of former President Pervez Musharraf failed to increase generation capacity during its nine-year rule.

Economic Growth

State-owned Water and Power Development Authority, the nation’s biggest electricity generation company, has faced a shortfall for about two years, according to the government. Demand for power has exceeded supplies, triggered by an average 6.8 percent economic growth in the past five years.

Karachi, a city of 18 million people, has previously been hit by riots because of power breakdowns and last month faced a fuel squeeze as gas stations stopped working because of outages.

The city recorded 225 millimeters (8.8 inches) of rain on July 18, the most in 32 years, according to MayorMustafa Kamal.

Karachi Electric buys 45 percent of its electricity from the Water and Power Development Authority and independent producers, including Hub Power Co.

The city’s distributor loses as much as 40 percent of revenue because of outdated meter-reading equipment, power theft and defunct transformers. It produces 1,377 megawatts, or just 78 percent of installed capacity, because of worn-out machinery, according to the company.

Karachi Electric is installing a 220-megawatt gas and oil- fired power plant in the city that’s expected to reach full generation capacity by 2009. The company needs to add plants, replace decrepit cables and cut power theft to end daily outages, which hit as much as two-thirds of the city’s population, according to Ismail.

To contact the reporter on this story: Naween A. Mangi in Karachi at nmangi1@bloomberg.net.

Riots rock Karachi

dailytimes.com.pk

Monday, July 20, 2009

Riots rock KarachiKARACHI: One man was killed as police opened fire on people protesting against load shedding near the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) office in Hyderi on Sunday, while angry protesters in other parts of the city attacked the house of Petroleum Adviser Dr Asim Hussain and a police checkpost.

A man named Hassam was killed when police allegedly opened fire on a mob protesting against excessive load shedding, a private TV channel reported. After the incident, KESC officials called Rangers to guard the company’s installations. Meanwhile, angry protesters pelted the house of Petroleum Adviser Dr Asim Hussain with stones, while shouting slogans against load shedding. The protesters dispersed after police fired teargas shells at them.

In North Nazimabad, infuriated protesters blocked the Landhi Kotak Chorangi Road with burning tyres and shouted slogans against the KESC administration, another private TV channel reported. The rioters attacked vehicles of MNAs Salahuddin and Farha Khan of the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement, while another angry mob attacked a police checkpost and snatched ammunition from the constable on duty.

Riots over electricity load shedding were reported from almost all parts of the city. According to a private TV channel, riots were witnessed at Punjab Chowrangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulistan-e-Johar, old Golimar and new Golimar, Liaquatabad, Baloch Colony and Landhi. It said people at the sites resorted to sit-ins and burnt tyres to protest against the KESC’s failure to restore electricity after over 30 hours of load shedding. The city’s VIPs were not exempt from the misery. Sources claimed the Chief Minister’s House had been operating without electricity for over 24 hours, however there was no official word from the CM’s House on whether it was functioning at full capacity.

Following the protests, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah ordered the KESC administration and all departments concerned to immediately end the load shedding in the Sindh capital. A spokeswoman of the KESC claimed on Sunday that 70 percent of the city’s power supply had been restored, APP reported. She maintained that only localised problems caused by the rain persisted. However, residents continued to complain that there was no electricity in their areas. staff report/daily times monitor/app

~ par Alain Bertho sur 20 juillet 2009.

Publié dans दंगा, émeutes, riots