Damaged water pipeline on Karachi's University Road repaired

With repair work complete, KW&SC assured that the water supply to the affected areas would be restored in full

Karachi’s water supply has resumed following the completion of repair work on the 84-inch water line on University Road, which had ruptured last month, causing widespread disruptions in water distribution across the city, according to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC).

The damage occurred on November 29 when the pipeline burst during the ongoing construction work for the Red Line project. Repair work began on December 3 and continued around the clock, with teams working in shifts to restore the line, Express News reported.

The rupture resulted in a loss of thousands of gallons of water daily, forcing the closure of several Dhabeji water pumps and cutting off supply to various parts of Karachi, including Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Safoora, Bahadurabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Saddar, Lyari, and parts of New MA Jinnah Road and Jamshed Road.

As a result, KW&SC had urged residents in the affected areas to conserve water, as the repair work was anticipated to result in a loss of 150 million gallons of water per day.

A spokesperson for KW&SC confirmed that the repair work was nearing completion, with an expected full restoration within the next 14 hours. The operation, which involved over 300 labourers working in three shifts, was supervised by Chief Engineer WTM Zafar Palijo.

One of the main challenges during the repair process was the extensive de-silting of the pipeline. Drilling machines used for constructing large pillars for the Red Line had inadvertently punctured the water line in two places, resulting in 16-foot-long holes.

To prevent further water loss, debris, stones, and concrete were used to seal the holes, which resulted in 96 feet of accumulated concrete across six sections of the pipe.

Heavy machinery was deployed to facilitate the repairs, which were carried out under the supervision of Superintendent Engineers Tanveer Sheikh, Abdul Aziz, and Muhammad Siddique Tanyu. With the repairs complete, KW&SC assured the public that the water supply to the affected areas would be restored in full.