Karachi [Pakistan], January 20 : Karachi's water supply has been significantly disrupted following a power failure at the Dhabeji pumping station. The incident, caused by an explosion during the breakdown, resulted in the rupture of two major pipelines, halting water delivery to several areas across the city.
One of the affected pipelines, measuring 72 inches in diameter, was Pipeline No 5, The Express Tribune reported.
The affected areas include Landhi, Korangi, Shah Latif Town, Korangi Town Ship, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Malir, and several others. These neighborhoods are now experiencing acute water shortages. In response, the Power Division instructed K-Electric to take urgent measures to restore power to the pumping station. A spokesperson from the Power Division emphasised the criticality of resuming water supply to Karachi and called for K-Electric to "upgrade the water supply system and prevent such incidents in the future."
In contrast, a K-Electric spokesperson assured the public that power supply to all major pumping stations, including Dhabeji, was functioning normally after a brief disruption. The spokesperson stated, "The electricity supply to all major pumping stations, including Dhabeji, has already been restored. Our team is actively coordinating with the Water Board to ensure smooth operations."
Meanwhile, ongoing delays in upgrading the B-Feeder canal have added to fears of a worsening water crisis in Karachi. The canal's lining work, which was halted for 23 days between December 20 and January 13, has significantly fallen behind schedule. During this period, only 25 outlets covering five kilometres were partially completed out of an expected 45 outlets covering eight kilometres, reported The Express Tribune.
This delay threatens progress on the K-IV water supply project, a major initiative to enhance Karachi's water delivery capacity. The project, jointly funded by the federal and Sindh governments at an estimated cost of PKR 40 billion, aims to increase the discharge capacity of the Kalri Baghar feeder from 7,600 cusecs to 9,800 cusecs.
The World Bank, which has tied its funding to the feeder's capacity increase, requires the project to be completed by 2026, a year earlier than initially planned.
The Sindh Chief Minister has written to the federal government requesting an additional PKR 14 billion to expedite progress, with assurances that the funding will be allocated within 15 days. However, experts remain sceptical about meeting the revised deadline.
"The delays are alarming," they noted, highlighting the significant backlog in construction and management issues.
Additionally, the project's leadership is under scrutiny. The appointment of the project director has been challenged in the Sindh High Court, casting further uncertainty over the K-IV project's timely completion, The Express Tribune reported.
Despite these setbacks, authorities remain optimistic that with adequate funding and expedited efforts, the project will eventually meet its objectives.
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