No power at power stations, no water in pipes

A power breakdown at major pumping stations has left large parts of Karachi without water for the past four days. Despite more than 100 hours since the outage began, electricity has yet to be fully restored, causing a shortfall of approximately 350 million gallons of water.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) reported that an unresolved electrical fault has severely disrupted water distribution in several areas. Meanwhile, K-Electric claims restoration work is still underway at the affected pumping stations.

The power outage began at 10pm on June 26 at the Dhabeji Pumping Station, cutting electricity to a significant portion of the city. Power was only partially restored by Monday night, leaving over 50 per cent of the city without access to water for days.

The incident raised concerns about K-Electric's claim of investing 4.1 billion dollars in infrastructure development, as it failed to resolve what officials described as a "minor fault" within four days. Outages at the Dhabeji, Dumlottee, and North East Karachi (NEK) pumping stations have disrupted supply citywide.

Affected localities include Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Scheme 33, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Federal B Area, Malir, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, PIB Colony, Mehmoodabad, Lines Area, the Old City Area, DHA, and Clifton. Residents are facing severe water shortages and struggling to access tanker water due to reduced supply and overwhelming demand at hydrants.

KWSC officials said that frequent power disruptions at Dhabeji, Dumlottee, and NEK are not only interrupting the water supply but also threatening the safety of critical infrastructure. They confirmed that 350 million gallons of water have been lost due to the ongoing outage.

A spokesperson for K-Electric said restoration is being prioritised at Dhabeji and the NEK Old Pumping Station. The NEK II and III stations have remained operational, and K-Electric claims it has continued supplying power to KWSC. However, water supply disruptions in some areas are also attributed to problems with the consumer system at NEK Old Pumping Station.

When contacted by The Express Tribune, neither KWSC nor K-Electric provided a timeline for restoring power to the Dhabeji Pumping Station. As the water crisis deepens, citizens are being urged to use water cautiously and avoid wastage.