KARACHI, Sept 21: Around one-fifth of the city’s population, residing between Liaquatabad and Baba Bhit Island, went dry on Wednesday and will remain so till Saturday owing to a 60-hour closure applied by the KWSB on Wednesday for plugging leakages of a 48-inch dia pipeline passing beneath various houses in Sikandarabad and Azam Nagar.

The localities not to get water during the closure period include Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Pak Colony, parts of Baldia Town, PAF Masroor, Grex Village, Mauripur, Hawkesbay, Musharraf Colony, Sikandarabad, Bakhar Goth, Sikandarabad, Azam Nagar, Baba Bhit Island, Naval areas and Shamspir.

The KWSB Chief Engineer (Water Distribution), Mr Asudomal, told Dawn that the 60-hour closure was necessitated, as the 48-inch dia pipeline passing underneath various illegally-constructed houses in Sikandarabad and Azam Nagar had developed at least 10 major leakages.

The line was also having loose joints at various places. As a result, not only was a huge quantity of water being wasted daily but the localities hooked to it were getting water supply with low pressure.

He said that though leakages in the pipeline, which carries between 40 and 50 million gallons of water per day, were developed some 14 to 15 years back, the KWSB could not plug the leakages earlier

This was because neither had the authorities concerned made any attempt to demolish the houses, which were illegally constructed on the pipeline, nor were the residents allowing the KWSB staff to enter their houses for undertaking repairing works.

“One would be shocked to know that even the air valves of the pipeline are located on the premises of a number of houses,” he added.

Asked as to how many houses had been built on the pipeline, he replied that they must be around 500 or so.

Keeping in view the persisting water shortage problem of the localities hooked to the pipeline, the KWSB had now decided to plug the leakages and strengthen its joints, he said.

He added that water from the pipeline had already been drained by 3pm on Wednesday and around 30 employees of the KWSB – provided with gas masks – were already working inside the 48-inch dia pipeline.

The KWSB has also sought help from the city government’s civil defence and fire brigade departments so that in case of any emergency, those working inside the pipeline could be provided oxygen through blowers, Mr Asudomal said.

The KWSB Managing Director, Brig Iftikhar Haider, who himself is supervising the whole project, made a detailed visit to Azam Nagar and Sikandarabad on Wednesday, and urged officials to expeditiously complete work.

Brig Haider, accompanied by Chief Engineer Asodomal, Superintending Engineer (Water Trunk Mains) Anwar Saeed and Executive Engineer Rafiq Turk, exhorted the engineers to take proper measures for safety of the staff working inside the pipeline.