December 29, 2008	Monday	Zilhaj 30, 1429

KARACHI, Dec 28: Almost half of the metropolis suffered a severe water crisis on Sunday when a prolonged suspension of power hit the Dhabeji pumping station, halting its water supply, while a 72-inch diameter rising main of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board burst near the National Highway.

The seven-hour long suspension of electricity supply to the water utility’s major pumping station together with the bursting of the main created a shortfall of over 200 million gallons of water, resulting in suspension of water supply to many towns of the city.

On the other hand, the shortfall of such a huge quantity of water proved a boon for the private tanker operators as they did a roaring business in the water-starved localities, charging exorbitant rates.

The towns and localities which suffered the most because of the water shortfall include Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Saddar, Malir, Shah Faisal, Landhi, Korangi, Defence Housing Authority, Clifton and their adjoining areas.

Residents of the affected localities said that private tankers, which had a field day on Sunday, charged between Rs800 and Rs1,000 for a tanker of 1,000 gallons and Rs1,500 for a double tanker of 2,000 gallons.

Attributing the cause of the burst in the 72-inch rising main to a strong jerk Dhabeji pumping station received immediately after the suspension of power supply, the chief engineer (bulk supply) of KWSB, Najam-i-Alam Siddiqui, claimed that though the utility’s engineers managed the water shortage caused due to the rupture in the rising main through a standby pipeline, the shortfall of 100mgd water which the city faced because of suspension of power supply to Dhabeji pumping station would be overcome by Monday.

“Repairing of the burst pipeline has already begun and it will be completed by early Monday morning,” the official claimed, adding that normal water supply to all the affected localities of the city would be restored by Monday evening.

However, other sources in the KWSB told Dawn that the city’s water supply position was not expected to be normalised by Tuesday as it would take at least 24 hours even if the repair work of the burst pipeline was completed by early Monday morning.

Meanwhile, sources in the KWSB said that when the newly appointed managing director of the KWSB, Fazlur Rehman, came to know of the burst main, he rushed to the site and directed the engineers to immediately make alternative arrangements for water supply to the affected localities and repair the pipeline on a war footing basis. The MD, who was accompanied by deputy managing director (technical services) Ali Mohammad Palejo and chief engineer (bulk supply) Najam Siddiqui, also asked the officials concerned to immediately make arrangements of water supply to the affected localities through the KWSB hydrants so that the localities might not remain without water on Monday.

He also instructed the officials of the KWSB’s tanker service to ensure that all major hospitals falling under the jurisdiction of the affected towns must be provided water through tankers to avoid any disruption in their functioning, besides special arrangements must be made for supplying water to Imambargahs and mosques.

CM orders probe

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Sunday took serious notice of the bursting of the pipeline supplying water to Karachi from Dhabeji and constituted a two-member committee comprising the secretary local government and the MD Karachi Water and Sewerage Board to investigate the incident, adds PPI. The chief minister directed the officials to hold a probe into the incident and present him a report within 48 hours.

He also instructed officials to repair the pipeline immediately so that the water supply could be restored.