NEPRA Begins Looking Into K-Electric, HESCO Issues

Deaths of at least 20 people and prolonged power breakdowns in Sindh especially in its two major cities of Karachi during heavy downpour have created a severe pressure. This has led the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to look into the issues of two power utilities such as K-Electric and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), reports suggest.
NEPRA decided to send a fact-finding team to Karachi and Hyderabad for enquiring and thus filling a report on power supply failure and unfortunate electrocution of the people including children. The team comprised of 4 members.
NEPRA spokesman told journalists that the team would start it working from Saturday (August 3) and visit K-Electric and state-run HESCO and would investigate to know the factual position.
The Police has registered an FIR against K-Electric’s administration over electrocution of a man to death in recent rains at the provincial metropolitan. A 30year-old Saad Ahmed was electrocuted in Paposh Nagar on July 29.
Also, Nepra took notice of power outages and human losses due to electrocution in the Karachi and sought a report on it. “It is disturbing to note that the KE complaint centers were not responding to telephonic calls of consumers and therefore Nepra has directed KE to submit a report about the failure of its pre-emptive measures as the rain was expected,” says a notice by the authority. Nepra has also directed KE to take remedial measures for restoration of power supply at the earliest”. Responding to the Nepra notice K-Electric started the process of declaring force majeure from July 29 onward due to its inability to meet performance standards and contractual obligations because of circumstances beyond its control. In its reply to the power regulator K-Electric said that Rule 10 of the Nepra Performance Standards (Distribution) Rules, 2005 allows the company for taking such a step of declaring force majeure. The company said to submit a detailed report along with force majeure request within 14 days as allowed under Rule 10(3) of the Nepra rules.