- Caretaker minister avoids any comment or talk on widespread outage
- Power division official ‘blames dense fog’ for tripping of 500 kV, 220 kV Transmission Lines at Guddu
ISLAMABAD: A massive power supply suspension affected major parts of Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan early Sunday, stemming from a technical fault and explosion in the switch yard of Guddu Thermal Power High Transmission.
The incident, exacerbated by dense fog, led to a fire that caused tripping of 500 kV and 220 kV Transmission Lines in the vicinity of Guddu. In the meanwhile one of the pole of 500 kV Circuit Breaker was damaged resulting in a widespread suspension of electricity supply to significant areas in the affected provinces, said sources.
Early on Sunday, significant regions in three provinces of the country—Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan—encountered a substantial disruption in power supply, they added.
Sources said that the fire was swiftly brought under control, and repair work commenced at the grid station. However, till the filing of this news item, caretaker federal energy minister and officials from the power division have not officially confirmed that the power breakdown was indeed due to a technical fault at the Guddu Thermal Power High Transmission.
Despite repeated inquiries, the federal energy minister has refrained from providing details or reasons behind the major power breakdown, raising concerns and leaving the public in the dark about the circumstances surrounding the incident. Shockingly, the minister did not address questions related to the event and instead directed an official from the power division to respond.
In an official statement, the power division official dismissed the incident as a “hoax” and insisted that the system is normal. This assertion, however, is in stark contrast to the ground reality, as residents in the affected provinces continued to grapple with a severe power outage during chilling weather and foggy conditions.
Later, the power division official said, due to dense fog, NTDC faced tripping of 500 kV and 220 kV Transmission Lines in the vicinity of Guddu. During the said period one of the pole of 500 kV Circuit Breaker was damaged. Thus, faulty part was isolated from the healthy system immediately and switch yard was energized.
The damaged part is being replaced with a healthy one, work is being completed out on war footing basis, said the power division.
Moreover, investigation is also underway to check the root cause behind damage of pole of circuit breaker of Guddu switch yard, power division added.
The lackadaisical response from the power division officials has drawn criticism, with many expressing disappointment at the nonchalant attitude towards a matter of public interest. The absence of timely and transparent communication has added to the frustration of citizens whose routine lives were disrupted due to the power breakdown.
It is worth noting that the incident occurred at a critical juncture, considering the ongoing winter season and the prevalence of fog in the affected regions. The power division’s failure to promptly inform and update the public on the situation has further fueled concerns about the government’s commitment to addressing and managing critical infrastructure failures.
As repair work continues at the Guddu Thermal Power High Transmission, citizens in Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan remain hopeful about swift resolution to the crisis and a return to normalcy in their daily lives. The incident underscores the importance of transparent communication and efficient crisis management in addressing such unforeseen events to ensure the well-being and safety of the public.
