City's water supply affected as Dhabeji pipeline bursts again

KWSB management appeals citizens to use potable water carefully

KARACHI: Water supply to the city was disrupted again as a main water supply line, supplying water from the Dhabeji pumping station to different parts of Karachi burst due to a sudden electricity breakdown on Saturday.

The damage to the 72-inch-diametre pipeline caused a loss of thousands of gallons of drinking water being supplied to the city. According to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), repair work on the pipeline is being undertaken and would be completed by Monday evening.

KWSB officials confirmed that the power to the pumping station was resumed within a few hours but the water supply to a large part of the city remained suspended.

The Dhabeji pumping station, which pumps water to around 70 per cent of the metropolis, frequently suffers power breakdowns as a result of which the pipelines burst. According to KWSB officials, the pipelines burst due to the abrupt reverse flow of water in the event of a power breakdown. Some of the worst-hit areas by the suspension of water supply on Saturday and Sunday were Korangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Malir, New Karachi, North Karachi, Liaquatabad, Federal B. Area, Nazimabad and other adjacent localities.

KWSB officials claim they have time and again raised concern over the faulty transmission lines of the K-Electric (KE), but the frequent power breakdowns have not been brought under control.

Karachi's overall demand of water is 1.2 billion gallons per day but it is being supplied with only 580 million gallons of water. The KWSB management has appealed citizens to use water carefully in times of crisis.