Karachi's residents left parched as water supply drops to a trickle

Breakdown at Dhabeji pumping station leaves several areas without water for six days

KARACHI:

The teeming metropolis of over 30 million people has been in the grip of a gruelling water crisis as supply remains suspended in multiple neighbourhoods for the past six days, making life harder in the sizzling heat of unforgiving summer.

The crisis started after a major power breakdown on April 27 at the Dhabeji pumping station, which resulted in the bursting of three main water transmission lines. Although repair work on Line No 5 has been completed, restoration work on Line No 1 and 2 is still ongoing, even after six days.

Due to the disruption, water supply has been suspended in several areas of the city, including Korangi, Landhi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Liaquatabad, PIB Colony, Nazimabad, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, and Chanesar Goth, among others.

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Sources in the Karachi Water and Sanitation Corporation said that as a result of the breakdown and ongoing repair work, seven pumping stations at the Dhabeji facility were currently non-operational, leading to a massive shortfall in water supply to the metropolis.

They added that efforts were underway to complete the repair work, with a possibility of restoration by Sunday. However, they warned that the normal water supply was expected to resume 24 hours after the completion of repairs.

Sources further warned that water supply disruptions were likely to continue in the city for the next three to four days, worsening the situation for already affected residents.