Poor coordination: Pipeline bursts for fifth time

33-inch diameter line supplies water to Surjani, New Karachi areas

KARACHI: A water pipeline, 33 inches in diameter, got damaged for the fifth time in Surjani Town on Monday, leaving thousands of residents without water, according to Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB).

KWSB spokesperson Rizwan Hyder claimed that the water supply line has been damaged several times since work began on the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project earlier this year. According to District West superintendent engineer Ovais Malik, a team of Green line BRT engineers was checking the load on the road few days ago, where they planned to construct a part of the bus project.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Malik said that the pipeline beneath the road could not bear the pressure and 3.5 feet of the pipeline got damaged. However, Malik added that he is not blaming anyone for the damage as such incidents usually happen in such mega-projects. He said that they have decided to increase their coordination with the engineers of Green Line BRT next time to avoid any such incidents, adding that the pipeline will be repaired today (Tuesday). According to Malik, the water flows through the line after every four days, while the water in the pipeline comes from Hub Dam. The loss of water is fortunately less in this incident, he said, adding that the line supplies water in areas of Surjani Town and New Karachi.

Meanwhile, Tanveer Ahmed from Green Line’s EA consultancy told The Express Tribune that he is not aware of any such incident. He added that they always ensure good coordination with all the utility departments, including KWSB and Sui Southern Gas Company.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2016.