Daily Times

KARACHI: After Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s directives to resolve Karachi’s power crisis, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has increased gas supply to K-Electric.

The SSGC has started supplying 130 mmcfd of gas to K-Electric from Monday, a company spokesperson confirmed. The power utility company was earlier being supplied with 90 mmcfd of gas. The load shedding would be reduced in the port city due to the increased supply of gas. Industrial zones would be exempted from power outages starting Monday, the spokesperson said. The SSGC will also supply 60 mmcfd of LNG to the K-Electric.

The latest development follows a special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy chaired by PM Abbasi to resolve the ongoing power crisis in Karachi. Addressing the media after the meeting, the prime minister had said the K-Electric and SSGC have been given 15 days to resolve the issue and restore the supply of electricity to the residents. He also instructed the authorities concerned to ensure the required supply of gas to the K-Electric. “Karachi will have electricity and water,” he had assured.

He hoped that the issue of shortage of water due to the electricity crisis would also be over. To a question about monopoly of the K-Electric, the prime minister said the government has no plans to take over or to set up any other similar body for power generation and distribution in Karachi.

He said the company was adhering to the NEPRA tariff and could not charge any additional amount.

Responding to questions about the ongoing load shedding in the country, the prime minister said the power generation was still higher than the demand, however in areas which were witnessing up to 60 per cent theft had to bear power outages.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Miftah Ismail will oversee the payment of outstanding dues by K-Electric to the SSGC. How much K-Electric has to pay to the SSGC would be ascertained in the next 15 days.

The meeting, held at the Governor’s House, included Power Minister Awais Leghari, Finance Adviser Miftah Ismail, State Minister for Power Abid Sher Ali and representatives of K-Electric and SSGC, among other officials.

Since the last few weeks, Karachi has been facing severe load shedding after K-Electric said the SSGC had curbed supply of gas and it was thus unable to produce the required amount of power. The gas company, on the other hand, claimed K-Electric owes it millions of rupees in dues. The residents bore the brunt of the spat as prolonged power cuts continued to plague Karachi, with previously exempted areas subjected to six hours of load shedding every day.

The areas most affected by the ongoing power 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.

Owing to the power cuts, the work in government and private offices had also been affected. In the courts, officials were seen using torches of their mobile phones to write in the dark whereas suspects brought for hearings seemed to be in a miserable state due to the heat.

On Thursday, officials of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) briefed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat and held K-Electric responsible for the power cuts in Karachi.

Published in Daily Times, April 24^th 2018.