A vast area of the city remained without electricity on Wednesday as over 30,000 complaints of power breakdowns remain unattended by the Karachi Electric Supply Company, while no one within the utility seems to be prepared to own responsibility for the crisis.

The utility was still facing an approximately 500 megawatt shortfall as its flagship Bin Qasim Power Plant was only operating at half its optimum output, generating much below par

Rains in Karachi on Tuesday left seven people dead and several injured, while the entire power generation and distribution system of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) collapsed, plunging almost 85 percent of the city into darkness.

The heavy downpour led to tripping of major feeders supplying electricity to the city.

The massive power breakdown that plunged the city into darkness on Monday night also wreaked havoc on the city's major water pumping stations, forcing the teeming millions to suffer a shortage of around 160 million gallons of water.

Pumping of water to the city from all the major pumping stations

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

Discoms asked to ensure the Capital's residents are insulated from cuts caused by frequency problems

"There is no reason why paying consumers should face power cuts'

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Government's Power Department has asked the power distribution companies in the city to speed up installation of under-frequency scheme to ensure that the residents are insulated from power cuts caused by frequency problems.

BRENDAN Nelson's daring bid to harden the Opposition's emissions trading policy is facing strong resistance from his most senior colleagues and the business community.

Shadow treasurer Malcolm Turnbull, environment spokesman Greg Hunt and deputy leader Julie Bishop are set to fight the change at tomorrow's shadow ministry meeting. In a further blow to Dr Nelson, the electricity industry has accused the Opposition of potentially putting the country's energy supply at risk if it fails to give investors certainty by nominating a date by which it would start emissions trading.

A clean-power colossus hopes to grow even bigger

Under supervision of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), Wapda stored 8.2 million acre feet of water in its three main reservoirs Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma for sowing of Rabi crops especially the wheat crop in coming months of October/November.

Wapda sources told Business Recorder that with the current inflows in Indus, Kabul and Jhelum rivers, Tarbela and Mangla dams are likely to be filled by middle of next month.

The places of religious worship have now been relieved of the burden of paying huge electricity bills, as the Ceylon Electricity Board has decided to introduce a flat tariff rate of Rs. 12.50 per unit for these institutions.
Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne told Daily Mirror yesterday that this decision was taken at a meeting attended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and religious dignitaries last evening.