These parts of Karachi may face water shortage after power breakdown
The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) has warned that many areas of Karachi could face water supply problems after a power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station. The station is the city’s main source of water intake and depends on a continuous electricity supply.
According to KWSC, the power failure happened at 8:45am in the third phase of the pumping station. The electricity supply to that section stopped immediately after the fault occurred.
A spokesperson said, “K-Electric has declared a cable fault at the station. A technical team has reached the site to rectify the fault.” Repair work is under way to restore power as quickly as possible.
Because of the fault, three pumps at the Dhabeji pumping station have been shut down for the time being. This has reduced the amount of water being sent to different parts of Karachi.
“The Corporation estimates a temporary shortfall of 75 million gallons per day in the city’s water supply due to the cable fault,” the spokesperson said. Residents in several neighbourhoods may notice lower water pressure or delayed supply.
The areas likely to be affected include North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Gulberg Town, New Karachi, Landhi, Korangi and Scheme 33. KWSC has advised residents in these locations to use water carefully until the system returns to normal.
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The corporation said it is working closely with K-Electric to fix the problem without delay. Officials hope electricity will be fully restored soon so that all pumps can start operating again.
“All pumps will be made operational immediately after complete restoration of power to bring the water supply back to normal,” the spokesperson added. The utility has assured citizens that every effort is being made to reduce the impact.
The latest disruption comes only days after the Sindh cabinet approved a 40 per cent increase in the cost of a dedicated water pipeline being built by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO). The project will carry water from Dumlotee to Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on the outskirts of Karachi.
Earlier this month, another electricity outage at the K-2 Pumping Station also forced three major pumps to stop working. That incident had also disrupted water distribution in different parts of the city.
Karachi’s water system depends heavily on an uninterrupted electricity supply, so even a short power fault can quickly affect millions of people. The repeated outages also show why stronger power backup and better infrastructure are needed to reduce future water shortages.
