KARACHI: Frequent power breakdowns at the pumping stations of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board continued causing an acute shortage of over 27 million gallons in the city on Monday.

According to a KWSB statement issued here, K-Electric disconnected the power supply to the Dhabeji pumping station on Monday morning owing to which water supply to the metropolis through K-2 and K-3 systems stopped completely.

The power supply to the Dhabeji pumping station, according to the statement, was restored at around 10.50am and the water supply also resumed, but during the one hour and 30 minute power disruption over 22mgd water could not be supplied to the city, which further aggravated the water shortage being faced by the people.

Similarly, three pumps at the Pipri pumping house stopped operations owing to power fluctuations at around 12.20pm resulting in the disruption of the water supply to the city, it added.

However, the pumps were restarted at around 12.30pm and the water supply was restored, but owing to a 10-minute closure around 5mgd could not be supplied to the city.

It said that the unannounced power cuts that had been occurring for the past 10 days continued on Monday morning also and power supply broke down at the Sakhi Hassan pumping house between 9.45am and 10.15am owing to which the water supply to Buffer Zone, North Nazimabad, Shadman Town, Sakhi Hassan and adjoining areas was suspended.

The power supply disruption also affected the free water tanker service being provided to the citizens.

The statement said that K-Electric had made it a routine to shut down pow­er supply to the Sakhi Hassan pumping house daily owing to which the free tan­ker service remained suspended and pe­o­ple getting their water supply thro­ugh free water tankers faced great hardship.

The daily requirement of water in the city is around 1,100mgd, while only around 560mgd water was available. Around 100mgd shortage was created due to the suspension of the water supply from the Hub dam, which had gone dry.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2015

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