Murad urges KE to improve system, reduce load-shedding

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday said that K-Electric should improve its system for smooth power supply during the on-going sweltering weather.

“Prolonged power outages greatly trouble Karachiites, particularly those living in apartments and small houses,” he said while holding a meeting with KE management comprising Chairman KE Waqar Siddiqui, CEO Tayyab Tareen, Director External Asmar Naeem and Chief Marketing Fakhar Ahmed.

Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Energy Agha Wasif, Secretary Local Government Ramzan Awan and others were also present on the occasion.

The CM said that the KE should have improved its system before the advent of summer but this seems to have not happened.

The chairman KE told the chief minister that distribution system has been improved by replacing it with new cables. The recent major break down was the result of storm in rural areas of the province which had collapsed the [supply] towers.

This should be noted here that the new power supply lines of the KE are of silver wires while the previous ones were of copper.

Murad said that apart from major break down, there are serious complaints of load-shedding. This must be reduced to maximum level. The issue of overbilling against which political parties have also made hue and cry should also be addressed in the public interest, he added.

Syed Murad Ali said that the industrialists are also complaining of load-shedding.

“I would suggest you to rationalize load-shedding in industrial and residential areas,” he said and urged KE to take necessary measures to reduce load-shedding to negligible level during the holy month of Ramzan.

Talking about load-shedding at water board pumping stations, the chief minister urged the KE administration to make them load-shedding free.

“Load-shedding does not only deprived people from electricity but water supply to their homes as well. This leads to dual problems, power outage and water shortage, both occur at the same time,” he said.

On this CEO KE Tayyab told Murad that the KWSB pumping station were being provided electricity from the feeders which were load-shedding free.

The chief minister also asked the KE to expedite electrification work in the rural areas of the city. “I want to electrify all our villages located on the outskirt of the city,” he said and added “we are giving you [KE]100 MW electricity from our maiden Nooriabad Power Plant with the hope that city and its adjoining areas would be exempted from load-shedding,” he said.