KARACHI: Residents of many parts of the metropolis may have to face an acute water shortage for the next couple of days due to suspension of the supply following a six-foot breach occurred in Hub Canal that provided 100 million gallons of water daily (MGD) to densely populated districts West and Keamari, it emerged on Wednesday.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said that the supply of water to the Hub Canal from Hub Dam had been stopped to carry out the repair work, which would be completed in the next two days.

A water utility engineer, who did not wish to be named, said that the structure of Hub Canal was 45 years old and had become weak to sustain the flow of water from the dam and that such cracks in the canal had also occurred in the past.

He said that the water level in the canal had not receded till evening and the repair work would start on Thursday morning. He added that the required machinery and material had already been moved to the repair site.

Shortage to persist for at least two days in West, Keamari districts; work to repair six-foot crack will begin today

Meanwhile, a KWSC spokesperson said that the water utility chief executive officer (CEO) had directed the officials concerned to plug the breach in Hub Canal on an emergency basis.

He said that the supply to the two districts was affected due to breach in the canal, but the affected areas were being given water through alternative K-3 line from Dhabeji.

Manghopir Town chairman Ali Nawaz Brohi said that the water shortage in the two districts would persist for at least two days.

Mayor overviews water needs

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab directed the water utility to demolish all illegal hydrants and water connections across the city, saying that only the citizens had the right to water, of which they would never allow anyone to be robbed.

Presiding over a high-level meeting here at the head office of the KWSC, he also instructed the officials to solve problems of water supply and drainage in the entire city on a priority basis.

Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad, parliamentary party leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party in the City Council Syed Najmi Alam, its chief whip Karamullah Waqasi and Sohrab Goth Town chairman Abdul Rahim KWSC CEO Syed Salahuddin, COO Engineer Asadullah Khan and other senior officials also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2023