KARACHI: People of Karachi will have to wait at least for next three days to have the water supply stabilised completely as the countrywide power breakdown shut the Dhabeji Pumping Station — the main water supply source for the city.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board said that water pipelines had completely dried due to prolonged power suspension to its installations.

KWSB Chief Executive Officer Syed Salahuddin Ahmed told Dawn that the power supply was restored to the Dhabeji Pumping Station by the K-Electric at 6:15pm only for 45 minutes.

The city on Monday faced a shortfall of 350MGD after the supply from Dhabeji Pumping Station was disrupted at around 9:30am when a 72-inch pipeline ruptured owing to the pressure created by the reverse flow of the water.

A water utility spokesperson said that the power breakdown had caused the pipeline at the pumping station to burst. He said that the repair work was in progress and the restoration of water supply through the pipeline was expected soon.

He said that the pipeline was damaged some four kilometres from the Dhabeji Pumping Station and a vast area was submerged, which was obstructing the repair works.

The spokesman said that the water crisis would persist in the city for next three to four days.

He said that the KWSB CEO had directed the deployment of heavy equipment for the repair of the damaged line.

The spokesman said that alternate pipelines would be used to supply water after the restoration of electricity until the repair work on the damaged line was complete.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2023