Staff Reporter
In light of the renewed spell of monsoons, K-Electric reiterates the need for safety during rainy weather and urges people to adopt necessary precautionary measures to avoid any safety hazards. The power utility remains committed to ensuring the reliability and stability of the power network and has already placed its teams on high-alert.
Rain-preparedness measures undertaken by KE include preventive maintenance, network-wide inspections of the power infrastructure, kunda-removal drives, along with installation of Aerial Bundled Cables. Power supply may also be suspended to areas which are prone to urban flooding or have a higher prevalence of illegal kundas, in the interest of public safety.
The power utility has initiated large-scale public safety awareness campaigns across multiple mediums highlighting the importance of maintaining a safe distance from any electrical infrastructure as well as reiterating the careful use of electrical equipment inside homes. People are advised to stay away from power infrastructure including poles, transformers and power lines.
Standing under transformers, billboards or leaning against poles or trees close to power infrastructure should be avoided at all times, and especially during situations of waterlogging and urban-flooding. Children in particular should be cautioned from playing near electricity installations.
The utility also categorically condemns the illegal abstraction of power, including the use of kundas, as this is the leading cause of electrical contact incidents during monsoon and urges all concerned stakeholders including community representatives to help educate masses in this regard and support KE’s efforts to combat this menace.
KE would like to reiterate that safety of the citizens and the provision of all vital and essential services is a combined responsibility of all civic entities; the challenging environment provided to the power utility, rampant with encroachments and plagued by poor civic infrastructure including a choked storm water drainage system, severely impacts the utility’s ability to supply power safely and reliably.
KE has been continuously engaged with local administration, provincial and federal government bodies for coordinated efforts to cope with the challenges it encounters during and after rain to ensure reliable and safe supply of electricity as well as swift restoration efforts.
The power utility looks forward to close coordination with all civic bodies and hopes that they will provide KE with an enabling environment so that it can enhance service delivery in the best interests of the people of Karachi. During the brief rain spell in Karachi on Tuesday, K-Electric Rapid Response Teams immediately responded to emerging faults to restore power supply to affected areas swiftly.
Power supply was put off in some areas of North Karachi, Bin Qasim, Korangi and parts of Baldia as a safety precaution, however over all power situation across the city including at all strategic locations like KWSB pumping stations as well as across other parts of Johar Gulshan, Lyari, Bahadurabad, Old Town and Saddar remained unaffected.
