Infrastructure collapse: Dhabeji pipeline develops cracks, city to face water shortage

As usual, water board blames electricity crisis for the water shortfall.

KARACHI: A 72-inch-wide water pipeline developed cracks on Tuesday morning resulting in a shortfall of at least 200 million gallons per day (MGD) to the city.

The pipeline developed cracks after an electricity failure at one of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) pumping stations led to the water flowing back. “On the night between Monday and Tuesday, K-Electric conducted load-shedding at the pumping stations in Gharo, Pipri and Dhabiji without any prior intimation,” said the KWSB spokesperson.



Following this power outage, the water in the pipeline started flowing back. Since the water pressure was too high, the old pipeline could not sustain it and it developed cracks. “The city would face a shortage of 100MGD with the additional 100MGD shortage from Hub Dam,” he said.

The spokesperson blamed the water crisis on the electricity utility. He added that the water supply cycle will be adversely affected and the residents will have to suffer during Ramazan.

“Although K-electric conducted only an hour-long load-shedding on Monday evening but the back pressure damaged the pipeline,” he said. “If the power utility does not exclude our pumping stations from load-shedding, the water shortage will further worsen in upcoming days,” he warned.

Meanwhile, the K-Electric spokesperson told The Express Tribune said the incident occurred due to the old infrastructure. He suggested the KWSB install new pipes urgently to avoid such problems. “They are just manipulating the issue to save the corrupt and incompetent administration of the KWSB,” he claimed.

The K-Electric official explained that the KWSB has a back-up electricity system. “I wonder why the KWSB did not use that,” he said, adding that large pumping stations, such as Gharo, Pipri, Dhabeji and NEK are exempted from load-shedding. The power utility does not shut down electricity to these stations for even a single minute, he added. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2014.