Digging, pickaxing main cause of unplanned outages: KE

K-Electric (KE) said uncoordinated digging and pickaxing is among the main reasons for unplanned power cuts in Karachi, recording 1,935 such incidents in FY26, according to Business Recorder. In certain cases, repairing damaged underground cables took more than a day because of how intricate the work is. Of those, 456 involved unidentified parties, a sign of weak coordination before excavation begins.

Damage to buried lines also cuts supply to nearby homes and businesses and creates safety risks for crews and passers-by. A KE spokesperson noted that formal protocols already exist to help utilities and civic bodies coordinate. Checking the location of underground utility routes before any digging, the spokesperson added, can markedly lower accidents and service interruptions.

The company has repeatedly asked civic agencies, contractors, private developers and residents to contact the relevant utility before excavating. Karachi's dense streets carry power, water, gas and telecom lines beneath roads and public areas, so following these steps is essential to protect workers and keep essential services running.