ISLAMABAD/Lahore/Karachi – A sudden burst of heavy rainfall this week has led to widespread power outages across major cities in Pakistan, disrupting daily life and putting added stress on emergency services.
In Islamabad, several neighbourhoods experienced prolonged blackouts as rainwater seeped into power distribution units, prompting precautionary shutdowns to avoid short-circuit damage. Similar outages were reported in Lahore’s older suburbs and parts of Karachi, where ageing infrastructure showed its vulnerability.
Residents in darkened streets faced extended disruptions—traffic signals failed in some areas, while shops and small businesses were forced to close earlier than usual. Backup generators kicked in at hospitals, testing the resilience of critical healthcare services during severe weather.
Officials from the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) and local utilities have dispatched repair teams to affected zones and urged the public to immediately report downed wires or overloaded transformers. Temporary power restoration is expected in most areas by day’s end, though some sectors may wait longer for full repairs.
Experts warn that this pattern may repeat as the monsoon season advances. They recommend urgent investment in waterproofing critical equipment, accelerating grid modernization projects, and developing contingency plans that can respond effectively to weather-related disruptions.
For now, consumers are being asked to minimise load during peak hours and ensure domestic appliances are unplugged until power supply stabilises.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.
