Residents in several Karachi neighbourhoods say electricity outages have stretched to 16 hours or more amid rising April temperatures. K-Electric says announced load-shedding is capped at 10 hours in high-loss areas and around 70% of feeders are exempt.
KARACHI: A fresh spell of load-shedding has affected large parts of Karachi, with residents in several neighbourhoods reporting extended electricity outages during the city’s April heat.
According to reports from different localities, power cuts have stretched to as much as 16 hours or more in some areas, while residents in places officially described as exempt from load-shedding have also faced unscheduled interruptions. These shutdowns, residents say, are often being explained as maintenance work.
The outages have added to public frustration as temperatures rise, with many citizens saying the situation has become difficult to bear. Complaints have emerged from multiple parts of the city, where people have accused K-Electric of failing to keep both scheduled and unscheduled load-shedding under control despite increased electricity demand in hot weather.
Outages reported in exempt and affected areas
Residents said the duration of power cuts has increased by another four to six hours in several localities, worsening the disruption to daily life.
In areas that are officially exempt from load-shedding, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, North Karachi, Shadman Town and Gulshan-e-Maymar, residents have reported outages lasting two to four hours. They said these interruptions are frequently being described as maintenance shutdowns.
In other affected neighbourhoods, electricity supply has reportedly been suspended for three to five hours multiple times a day. Residents in several such areas said the cumulative duration of blackouts has reached alarming levels, with some localities experiencing outages of 15 to 20 hours.
Families in these areas said the prolonged power cuts have led to sleepless nights in the heat. Residents also said the conditions are especially hard on children, elderly people and patients as heatwave conditions intensify in the city.
K-Electric response
Responding to the complaints, a spokesperson for K-Electric said announced load-shedding was being carried out for a maximum of 10 hours in areas with high transmission losses. “Announced load-shedding is being carried out with a maximum duration of 10 hours in areas with high transmission losses, while approximately 70% of feeders remain exempt from load-shedding,” he said.
However, residents’ accounts from different parts of Karachi indicate a gap between the utility’s stated position and the situation being reported on the ground.
The complaints reflect growing concern across the city as repeated and lengthy outages continue during a period of high temperatures, with residents saying even areas meant to be spared from load-shedding are not fully protected from electricity disruptions.
