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KARACHI, Oct 18: Water supply to almost entire city came to an abrupt halt on Thursday following a major power breakdown which occurred at the KWSB’s three main pumping stations situated at Dhabeji, Gharo and Hub.
The non-availability of power at these three pumping stations had already caused a shortage of over 150 mgd in the city till Thursday evening and the KWSB officials apprehend that there would be a water crisis in the city even on Friday and Saturday if the KESC failed to restore supply at its Dhabeji and Hub pumping stations at the earliest.
A KWSB spokesman said although power supply at the Dhabeji pumping station (Second Phase) went off at 11 pm on Wednesday due to a fault in KESC’s 11-KV cable, the KESC officials could not rectify the same till 7.30 pm on Thursday and as a result of which the city experienced a shortfall of 100 mgd.
About the Gharo pumping station which supplies 35 mgd water to the city, he said pumping of water from Gharo also remained suspended for four hours as there was no electricity at this station from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm on Thursday.
HUB PS: At a time when water supply to the city was already suspended from Dhabeji pumping station from where the city gets 100 mgd, another major power breakdown occurred at the Hub pumping station at 6.45 pm on Thursday, forcing the KWSB to stop supply to the former districts west and central.
The KWSB officials said as there was no electricity at Dhabeji (Second Phase) and Hub pumping stations, the city could not be supplied water to the tune of about 150 mgd and as such various parts of the city will experience an acute water shortage on Friday and Saturday.
KWSB officials said that repeated power failures at the Dhabeji and other major installations were on the one hand causing water shortage in the city and, on the other, jerks caused from power breakdowns often result in leakages in their rising mains.
Asked about the impact of the shortfall of about 150 mgd of water, the KWSB officials said though almost entire city will face an acute water shortage during the next two days, some parts of the city might go completely dry at least on Friday.
Water supply to the sprawling Orangi, Baldia and Surjani townships would also be badly affected on Friday owing to non-availability of power at Hub pumping station, they added.
