KARACHI, July 15: Water level in Hub dam’s reservoir on Tuesday increased to 291.80 RL (Reservoir level) as against its dead-storage level of 276 RL which means that supply to Karachi from the Hub source can now be continued for one year.
“If Karachi and Lasbella stick to their present supply level of 25 million gallons from the Hub source, both the beneficiaries may continue to get the supply from the source for one year,” sources in the city government’s water and sanitation department told Dawn on Tuesday.
The dam’s reservoir level is expected to go up further in the current monsoon in the wake of Met office’s forecast of more rains, besides rainwater is continuously trickling in the reservoir from its huge catchment area which consist of Dadu district, Kirthar National Park, Saruna, Duraji, Shah Noorani area in Balochistan.
“If the level in the reservoir touches the 339 RL mark, supply to both Karachi and Lasbella could be ensured for even three years,” said an official.
Prior to last Monday’s rains, water level in the reservoir was 281.10 RL, but it shot up to 282.70 RL on Tuesday last while the level on Tuesday stood at 291.80 RL.
The city’s supply from the Hub source was last suspended on June 4 when water level in the dam’s reservoir reached the 277 RL.
Water supply from the source was, however, restored on June 28 when the reservoir’s level increased to 280.10 feet.
It is since June 4 that both Karachi and Lasbella have been getting 25 million gallons from the Hub source under an agreed formula whereby the city is supplied water for 72 hours and Lasbella for 48 hours on turn-by-turn basis.
The entire supply of 25 mgd, currently being received from the Hub source, was being supplied to sprawling townships of Baldia, Orangi, Surjani, North Karachi and Shershah.
In addition to this, the W&S department had introduced a weekly water-holiday system in October last in the localities getting supply from the Indus source for diverting the same to the localities hooked to the Hub source via Ajmair Nagri, North- East Karachi and Board Office pumping stations.
