KARACHI:
Another disruption of the water supply, another ordeal for Karachi’s residents – a pattern that has repeated itself so often that it seems woven into the city’s daily reality. The metropolis has once again been hit by a severe water crisis, with 50 to 60 percent of areas facing water supply shutdown over the weekend, while hydrants reportedly continued to function without interruption.
An unannounced shutdown by K-Electric at the Dhabeji pumping station on Saturday cut off water supply to a large part of the metropolis. The situation worsened on Sunday when a power outage occurred at the North East Karachi (NEK) pumping station, further affecting water distribution to various localities.
Officials and residents said water supply cuts have become a recurring feature in the city, even as government-run hydrants continue to operate normally.
Karachiites, meanwhile, are increasingly forced to rely on expensive water tankers to meet daily needs amid worsening scarcity.
Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) officials said K-Electric on Saturday abruptly stopped power supply, affecting water distribution to almost half of the city. Although electricity was restored after about two hours, another breakdown at the NEK pumping station soon followed, exacerbating the crisis.
Areas operating under the weekly water rationing system were among the worst affected. Localities scheduled to receive water on Saturday and Sunday reportedly did not receive supply and must now wait until the next cycle.
Officials further stated that even a brief interruption in pump operations in Dhabeji can take 10 to 20 hours to normalize, causing extensive delays in distribution across the city.
A KWSC spokesperson said that after power was restored in Dhabeji, operations resumed through 21 pumps, but full system stabilization would take time. The crash happened around 03:00 on May 31 at the NEK pumping station, partially disrupting the city’s water supply system.
K-Electric’s technical team was called to the site where they identified a fault in the main transmission cable that supplies electricity to the K-II pumping station.
The failure led to emergency measures by KWSC, including temporary withdrawal from the K-III feeder. Electricity was partially restored around however, limited capacity meant that full pump operation could not be resumed.
Officials said the city is currently facing a deficit of 54 million gallons per day (MGD) due to the disruption. They warned that if the fault is not fixed on a permanent basis, further deterioration of water supply and distribution plans could occur throughout the city.
KWSC has urged K-Electric to immediately repair the fault and ensure uninterrupted power supply to pumping stations to prevent further hardship to citizens.
MQM-P protest
water problems
The MQM-P strongly criticized the prolonged interruptions in water supply, terming the situation as “criminal negligence” on the part of the city’s water and electricity utilities.
In a statement issued by the party’s central committee, the MQM-P said the power outage in Dhabeji and subsequent pipeline bursts caused by back pressure had once again pushed Karachi into a severe water crisis amid intense summer heat.
The party said millions of liters of water supply were suspended due to repeated technical and power failures, resulting in what it described as the collapse of the city’s water distribution system.
The MQM-P maintained that frequent power outages at a critical plant like Dhabeji and recurring pipeline failures could no longer be treated as routine technical problems. Rather, it reflected “serious administrative failure and negligence” on the part of K Electric and KWSC.
They claimed that more than 40 million Karachi residents were forced to rely on expensive tanker supplies, while accusing authorities of failing to control what they called a “tanker mafia” operating amid the crisis.
