Major pipeline burst Friday night during ongoing Red Line construction activities
KARACHI:
For the residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal and several adjacent neighborhoods, development projects to modernize the city have become a source of daily hardship. As excavation work for the Red Line BRT, the K-IV project and road upgrades continue along University Road, repeated water main breaks have left thousands struggling for every drop, exposing a chronic lack of coordination among civic agencies.
Repair work on the 48-inch water transmission line that was damaged during Red Line construction near the University Road corridor has been completed, officials said Sunday. Water supply through the line is expected to resume between Sunday and Monday evening after safety assessments are completed.
The major pipeline was burst on Friday night during ongoing Red Line construction activities, disrupting water supply to several localities including various blocks of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, PIB Colony, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad and Gulberg. According to Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) officials, the damaged portion of the pipeline spans approximately eight feet.
Officials said the water has not yet been released into the line because the high pressure in the system could cause further damage if the repairs are not sufficiently stabilized. Additional time is therefore required before normal operations can be safely resumed.
Even as repairs on the main pipeline were completed, another disruption occurred on Sunday when a six-inch water main was damaged near Hasan Square during Red Line construction work. The incident affected water supply to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13-D/3 and Baloch Goth.
The latest damage follows a series of similar incidents in the same area. Just days earlier, two sections of a 15-inch pipeline were reportedly damaged during K-IV project work.
