KARACHI, July 17: A burst in a 72-inch diameter main water supply pipeline near Dhabeji on Thursday caused a major shortfall in the city, affecting supply to almost four towns of the city.

Malir, Landhi, Korangi and Shah Faisal towns suffered from the suspension of supply from the pipeline, and the water supply is expected to be normalized within two days.

The rising main was laid in 1957 and during last 17 years it got damaged 30 times.

According to city government’s water and sanitation department, work on the repair of the pipeline has begun, with the dewatering of the line, and it will take at least 48 hours to repair the burst line.

It was the second major pipeline burst in the city during a short span six days. Earlier, an 84-inch dia Syphon-20 had ruptured on Saturday near the Federal government University.

As the 72-inch dia rising main got damaged on Thursday, various parts of all the four towns went without water, and the people were caught unawares as they had already been facing water shortage owing to frequent breakdowns.

Some more areas falling in Liaquatabad, Gulberg and North Nazimabad towns will get scant supply with low pressure on Friday, sources said.

The affected towns, according to sources, would either completely go dry or receive scant supply for at least 48 hours.

Though a spokesman for the city government’s water and sanitation department claimed that the burst caused a shortfall of only 20 million gallons, some engineers said the city would continue to get a short supply of around 40 mgd as long as the pipeline was not repaired.

Residents of Malir and Khokhrapar who are already experiencing water shortage for the last several weeks said on the one hand, they were not being supplied water through pipelines and, on the other, their requests for supplying water through tankers from the W&S department’s Jamia Millia hydrant, often remain unheeded for one reason or the other.

According to an area resident, when he requested for a paid water tanker, the officials at the hydrant expressed their inability to provide water as there was no electricity at the hydrant since 10 am.

Water shortage also persists in various sectors of North Karachi, Orangi, Baldia, Shershah, Surjani Town and parts of Lyari.

The localities which went without water on Thursday as part of the water and sanitation department’s plan of diverting water to the localities hooked to Hub source included Landhi, Korangi, DHA, National Refinery, Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Railways.

The other parts of the city where water supply would remain suspended include Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s blocks 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 10-A, 13-A, 13-B, 16, 17 and 18.

CONTAMINATED SUPPLY: Complaints of contaminated water supply have been received from North Nazimabad’s Block L, Buffer Zone’s Sector 15/A-1 and Malir’s Kausar Town.