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KARACHI, July 8: Water level in the Hub dam’s reservoir on Tuesday increased by 1.6 feet in the wake of rains in the catchment area of the dam on Monday.
The level in the dam’s reservoir is likely to further go up to 283 feet by Wednesday as its catchment area, comprising Dadu district, Kirthar National Park, Saruna, Duraji, Shah Noorani area in Balochistan, is still receiving rainwater, according to sources in the city government’s water and sanitation department.
According to Wapda officials, the rainwater which started pouring into the dam’s catchment area on Monday, continued intermittently till early hours of Tuesday, increasing the level of water from 281.10 Reservoir Level to 282.70 RL in the dam.
Asked whether the increase in the dam’s reservoir level would have any positive impact on the city’s supply of water from the Hub source, the Hub dam project’s resident engineer, Inamullah Khan, replied in the affirmative, saying if both Karachi and Lasbella continued to draw water at the present rate of 25 mgd, water supply from the Hub source to both the beneficiaries would be enough for the next five months.
Describing rains as a “boon” for the sprawling townships hooked to the Hub source, the city government’s water and sanitation department officials hoped that since the level in the Hub dam’s reservoir had now increased by 1.6 feet, the city would continue to get the supply from the source till December.
Water supply to the city from the Hub source was suspended on June 4, following its reservoir level reduced to 277 RL.
However, supply from the dam was restored on June 28 when the water level in the dam’s reservoir increased by three feet in the wake of recent rains which increased the reservoir level to 280.10 feet.
It is since June 28 that Karachi and Lasbella have been getting 25 mgd of water on rotation in such a manner that Karachi is supplied water for three consecutive days and Lasbella for two consecutive days.
Following restoration of supply from the Hub source, the sprawling townships of Orangi, Baldia, Surjani, North Karachi and Shershah, are now being supplied water after every 72 hours, instead of after every 101 hours.
SHORTFALL: Various parts of the city on Tuesday either went without water or received scant supply owing to an overall 26.7 mgd shortfall which occurred due to power breakdowns at various pumping stations.
According to the W&S department sources, the city received 20 mgd less supply on Monday and 6.7 mgd less supply on Tuesday as power failures kept on occurring from time to time on the two days at its different pumping stations which included Dhabeji, Gharo, Pipri, Dumlotee, Babar Market, Shah Faisal Town, Nagan, Saba, Landhi, Paharganj, Aurangabad, etc.
The localities which suffered on account of shortfall included parts of Landhi, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Khokhrapar and their adjoining areas.
Complaints of persisting water shortage have also been received from Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s blocks 13, 13-C, Rafah-i-Aam Society, different sectors of Baldia, Orangi, Shershah, North Karachi, Buffer Zone, Surjani Town, Clifton’s blocks 4 and 5, Lyari’s Shah Beg Lane, Tannery Road and New Kalri.
Moreover, the other localities which went without water on Tuesday under weekly water-holiday system included Clifton, Gizri, Dehli Colony, Punjab Colony, Shireen Jinnah Colony, Bhutta Village, Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and National Institute of Child Health and their adjacent areas.
CLOSURE: The localities where water supply would remain suspended on Wednesday include Garden East, Garden West, Soldier Bazaar, Shikarpur Colony, Saddar, Old City Area and Cosmopolitan Society.
