KARACHI: With little action and mere talk among federal authorities and the city’s power utility, prolonged power cuts continue in the city, with previously exempted areas now being subjected to up to six hours of load shedding every day. The areas most affected by the ongoing crisis include blocks 8, 9, 10, 13 and 14 of Federal B Area, C-1, C and No. 10 localities of Liaquatabad, Orangi Town, Korangi, Safoora Goth, Scheme 33, Abul Hasan Isphahani Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Model Colony, New Karachi and North Karachi. The city is experiencing unscheduled power cuts for the past few weeks due to a tussle between K-Electric, the city’s sole power utility, and the Sui Southern Gas Company over delays in payment of dues. The KE holds that the gas company has reduced supply, preventing it from producing electricity needed to meet the prevailing demand in the city. The gas company claims KE owes it millions in dues and will restore supply once the payments are made. Besides the residential areas, the ongoing crisis has also affected the city’s industrial zones and government offices. In their statements, industrialists have said that power cuts are preventing them from meeting export targets, adding that if the situation continues they may have to bail out on orders and may be unable to pay workers. Work in government and private offices has also been affected. In courts, officials can be seen using torches of their mobile phones to take notes during hearings amid power outages. On Thursday, officials of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) briefed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat and said that KE was responsible for the ongoing power cuts. The regulator said it had advised the government to take action against KE and also to restore gas supply. It also told lawmakers that a 180-megawatt (MW) power plant of the utility had been shut down since five months, adding that if KE ran all its plants, it could produce 2,900MW. NEPRA had constituted a high-level committee on April 10 to probe into unscheduled power outages in Karachi. The committee visited Karachi last week. Published in Daily Times, April 20th 2018.