Expected shortage: Water to District West to be reduced

Repair work on a breach in the Hub Canal is under way

KARACHI: Supply from the Hub Dam to District West will be reduced for another 48 to 72 hours after a dilapidated portion of the Hub Canal was damaged on Tuesday.

Initially, it was claimed by the managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), that the breach would be repaired within 36 hours.

Hub Dam is the main source of water supply to District West which includes Baldia, Site and Orangi towns.

The dam supplies 90 million gallons of water per day (MGD) to the area but this amount is not sufficient as it does not reach the tail areas of District West.

A resident of Orangi Town, Sohail Khan told The Express Tribune that their regular water supply is the worst so what better could be expected when Hub Canal has been damaged. KWSB spokesperson Rizwan Hyder said that supply through alternative means is in process but it has been decreased to 10 to 20 MGD.

Hyder said that heavy machinery and technical staff have been sent to the spot and the breach will be plugged by Friday.

On the other hand, chief of bulk water supply Zafar Palijo explained that there is no such shortage of water in District West, as KWSB is supplying around 70 MGD of water through the North East Karachi line to meet the shortage in the area.

Palijo said that the breach has been filled and another 48 hours are required to completely repair the damaged part of the canal, therefore by Friday morning the canal will be able to supply water from the Hub Dam.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2016.