Karachi: high and dry

Twelve days without a drop of water - for any modern metropolis, that would amount to a state of emergency. But in Karachi, it is becoming an unfortunate norm. Despite assurances and the supposed repair of a major water line ruptures, large swathes of the city continue to reel under an unrelenting water crisis. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation's (KWSC) claim that supply has been restored offers little solace to citizens who are forced to buy water at exorbitant rates or rely on handouts from private tankers.

Persistent neglect and lack of contingency planning seem to be the core reasons why such a situation continues to persist. The 84-inch main line rupture on April 29 brought to the surface deep structural cracks in the management of the city's water infrastructure. Repairing a pipeline is only half the job; ensuring timely, equitable and efficient restoration of supply is what citizens expect and deserve. While the Sindh Chief Minister has finally taken notice and issued directives, the crisis has already caused immense hardship across all seven districts of the city. The KWSC's admission that it might take "several more days" to restore full supply is both alarming and unacceptable. Karachi requires more than 1,200 million gallons daily, yet for nearly two weeks, the city has received only a third - 400 MGD - due to ongoing repairs. Even under normal conditions, the city receives just 650 MGD, which is itself far below the requirement.

In a city where water mafias thrive and the gap in public service delivery grows by the day, such lapses only fuel resentment and desperation. The crisis demands more than reactive firefighting. It requires long-term planning and investment in resilient infrastructure, coupled with an honest acknowledgment of failures. Until then, citizens will continue to be left high and dry - both literally and metaphorically.