Karachi faces up to 20 hours of loadshedding amid heatwave
Residents of Karachi are facing extreme hardship as long hours of loadshedding continue across the city. In many areas, electricity is being cut for up to 20 hours a day during intense heat and humidity.
Most people live in small homes with poor ventilation. Due to the heat and lack of electricity, these houses turn into unbearable spaces, badly affecting children, women, and the elderly. Despite a change in management at K-Electric, the situation has not improved. Instead, unannounced power cuts have increased in many parts of the city.
Reports say outages have increased by another four to six hours in several areas. Even localities that were previously exempt are now facing daily cuts of three to five hours under the pretext of maintenance work.
Areas such as North Karachi, Shadman, PECHS, Gulistan-e-Johar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, and Gulshan-e-Maymar are experiencing two to four hours of electricity outages. However, the situation is more severe in Orangi Town, Liaquatabad, Mahmoodabad, Malir, Korangi, and New Karachi, where electricity remains unavailable for 15 to 20 hours daily.
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Other areas like Surjani Town, Khuda Ki Basti, Ahsanabad, Kathore, and Gadap Town are also facing long and frequent power cuts, severely disrupting daily life.
In some neighbourhoods, electricity is available for just one hour, followed by an hour-long outage. In extreme cases, residents are receiving only four hours of electricity in an entire day. The continuous power cuts have also triggered a worsening water shortage across the city, as water supply systems depend on electricity.
Citizens have expressed strong anger over K-Electric’s performance, demanding stable and uninterrupted electricity, especially during extreme weather conditions. Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi chief Munim Zafar also criticized K-Electric, saying people are paying high bills and taxes but still facing unbearable outages.
He referred to a NEPRA decision from 2024, which declared load-shedding based on theft and recovery issues illegal, imposed a Rs50,000,000 fine on K-Electric, and ordered uninterrupted electricity supply.
