As Karachiites have Ramazan's first sehri in the dark, KE skirts responsibility

KARACHI: Multiple areas and localities of the metropolis were thrown into the dark on the first day of Ramazan as Muslims woke up to have their pre-dawn meal (sehri), Geo News reported.

As Karachiites welcomed the holy month, they were awarded with an unwelcome guest: load-shedding.

Many families were forced to eat their sehri meals in utter darkness or in candlelight. Power outages were reported in numerous areas, including smaller localities of Korangi and Landhi, as well as Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Garden, Liaquatabad, North Karachi, Surjani Town, and F.B. Area.

K-Electric, the sole power supplier for the country's biggest industrial hub, denied the load-shedding reports, saying it was, instead, implementing load management strategy.

KE said work on one of the electrical units may have led to the implementation of load management strategy in a few areas.

A spokesperson for the electrical supply company said people should refrain from terming "local faults as load-shedding".

Soaring temperatures 

Moreover, Karachi is expected to bear blistering heat during the first week of Ramazan, according to the Pakistan Meteorological (Met) Department. 

The temperature is expected to rise as high as 40°C in Karachi today, the Met office added.

Earlier in the week, the MET office had said that sweltering heat is expected to persist in Karachi during the first week of Ramazan, with temperatures expecting to go as high as 38°C to 40°C. 

Hot and dry weather prevailed towards the end of March in Karachi, which temperates soaring to maximum 40°C on March 26.

The MET Office had said the temperature may also feel higher than it would actually be due to a lack of sea breeze.