Daily Times

“Accident” is too small a word to describe a crippling disruption of electricity to large swathes of the country in the twenty-second year of the twenty-first century. But since we are not yet blessed to taste the fruits of the new age, not one, not two, but a line of gigantic power plants in the south decided to take a breather and force millions to live through yet another deja vu of the menacing blackout of last year. Damages were not just limited to far-flung regions as urban headquarters, like Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Multan, and Faisalabad, also experienced power breakdowns.

The industrial lifeline, Karachi, was hit the worst–whose woes would tragically yet most likely get sidelined by squabbles between the administrative bodies. While the energy minister relievingly announced the “fully restored” power supply after an unbelievable gap of 12 hours, media sources claim parts of Karachi are still languishing in the dark.

The honourable minister would do well to remember that celebrating normalcy as the “biggest success” does not even begin to discount the grave error of letting the national grid break down on his watch. Similarly futile is the announcement of eyewash albeit high-level inquiry committees unless and until the entire system is upgraded.

This is not the first time that avoidable instances–largely brushed under the technical rug–have caused gross power failures, and this would, definitely, not be the last stint. Instead of harping on filmic paeans of privatisation or letting the bureaucratic red tape splash muddy waters in full galore, each and every unit of the power sector needs to take a good look inside. Only if they realise the dire implications of running rotting parts of machinery without any maintenance (just because an overwhelming majority is obsessed with cutting corners), it would become clear how a few isolated suspension orders can never push the genie back inside the bottle.

An unprecedented level of political will is long overdue to ensure the energy needs get fulfilled while stomaching excruciating price tags and gaping supply shortages. Power may return, but not without fear of it going away without any warning. *