Karachi water supply cut nearly in half

KARACHI: A major disruption at the Dhabeji Pumping Station has raised fears of a serious water shortage in Karachi, with supply to the city dropping sharply as repair work continues on key transmission lines.

According to details, the Karachi Water Corporation had planned a shutdown from April 25 to 27 to carry out repairs on Line No. 5, which had been rupturing repeatedly, and reconnect it to the supply system. The work was initially expected to be completed within 48 hours.

However, a power breakdown took place the same night, worsening the situation. The outage led to another rupture in Line No. 5 and also caused damage to Line No. 1 and Line No. 2, further affecting the city’s water distribution network.

A spokesperson said repair work on Line No. 5 is likely to be completed by Tuesday night, while restoration work on Lines No. 1 and 2 may require another three to four days.

The Dhabeji Pumping Station, described as the lifeline of Karachi’s water supply system, is currently functioning at reduced capacity. Nine pumps are out of service, significantly lowering the volume of water being supplied to the city.

Under normal conditions, the station provides 550 million gallons of water per day. At present, it is supplying around 300 million gallons daily, reducing overall availability by nearly half.

Multiple localities affected

The disruption has severely affected water supply in a wide range of neighbourhoods across Karachi. Areas facing shortages include Landhi, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, PIB Colony, Jamshed Road, the Old City Area, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Mahmoodabad, Defence and Clifton, along with other parts of the city.

Officials have advised residents to use water carefully during the repair period as the reduced supply continues to affect distribution across the metropolis.

According to the available information, the city’s water crisis has been worsening, and the latest breakdown has added to existing pressure on the supply system. With three major lines affected and pumping operations reduced, full restoration is expected to take several days.

The ongoing repair work on the damaged lines is central to restoring normal supply, but until then, many parts of Karachi are likely to continue facing shortages.