Pak: Karachi residents stage road blockade over prolonged power cuts, shortage of water

Karachi [Pakistan], November 6 : Irked over regular power cuts and shortage of water, a group of residents near Karachi's Isa Nagri staged a protest on Tuesday evening, blocking a major road and causing severe traffic chaos and jams.
Vehicles lined up in long queues as their protest disrupted vehicular movement on key routes, including the Lyari Expressway, The Express Tribune reported.
Gathering to voice their grievances, the residents expressed frustration over the severe and unscheduled power cuts, with some reporting outages lasting over 12 hours. These prolonged power shortages have also impacted the region's water supply, intensifying local discontent.
Protesters stated that despite lodging multiple complaints with the Water Corporation, no effective measures had been taken to address the frequent outages or restore consistent water access.
The protesters called for an immediate end to both scheduled and unscheduled power cuts. Commuters returning home from work were stuck for hours, experiencing severe inconvenience. Following negotiations with police, the protesters agreed to disperse peacefully after receiving assurances from authorities that their concerns would be addressed.
Once the crowd dispersed, traffic police worked quickly to clear the road and restore normal traffic flow, reported the Express Tribune.
Karachi has faced similar protests in recent months, as residents of Jahangir Road also demanded relief from extended power and water outages. That demonstration caused another major traffic disruption, with both lanes of Jahangir Road closed to vehicles. Police were present at the scene to manage the situation and assist affected commuters.
In a related development, the Battagram Trade Union has announced a complete shutter-down strike starting Tuesday, protesting continued power cuts in their district. The union stated they would withhold electricity bill payments until a stable power supply schedule is implemented.
Adding to the burden for Karachi residents, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) recently approved a rate hike of PKR 0.40 per unit for electricity in the city. This adjustment, part of NEPRA's monthly billing adjustment for August 2024, will be applied in January 2025 bills by K-Electric. Earlier, K-Electric had requested a minor reduction of PKR 0.16 per unit due to fuel cost adjustments for September, but this was not implemented.
Meanwhile, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) reported collecting PKR 228 million through municipal utility charges included in K-Electric bills in just one month. Mayor Murtaza Wahab announced at a press conference that KMC aims to raise PKR 3 billion annually from these charges, which will fund city development projects and cover pensions and dues for municipal employees, the Express Tribune reported.
He, along with Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, stated that KMC plans to make details of these receipts and expenditures available online to ensure transparency.