KARACHI, Feb 10: At least six towns and five vital installations of the city on Friday went without water after pumping at the Dhabeji pumping station to the tune of 200 million gallons came to a grinding halt at 8am.

Water supply from the Dhabeji station has been stopped for the purpose of facilitating some development work at the Pipri pumping station. The pumping will remain suspended for 48 hours.

As such, all the localities and installations affected due to the suspension on Friday, will remain without water till Sunday morning.

The affected localities and installations include Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Korangi, Landhi, Defence Housing Authority, Korangi Creek, Korangi Thermal Power Station, Jinnah Terminal, National Refinery, Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and the adjoining areas.

Complaints of an acute shortage of water were also received from Khokhrapar, Model Colony, Quaidabad, Mehmoodabad, Azam Basti, Channeser Goth and several blocks of Clifton, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

A spokesman for the KWSB said that water supply to some parts of the city had been suspended for 48 hours to replace certain sections of the 54- and 72- inch pipelines, as well as some other work relating to the execution of the 100-mgd K-III project.

The work has already been initiated and would be completed by 8am on Sunday, the spokesman said, hoping that normal water supply would resume soon afterwards.

Though the KWSB has not mentioned all the localities which would experience the impact of the short supply, insiders told Dawn that almost half the city could be facing an acute shortage of water till Sunday as it was not possible for the KWSB engineers to ensure an equal distribution of water in other parts of the city amid a huge shortfall of 200 mgd.

Residents of the affected localities said that the ‘tanker mafia’, taking undue advantage of the situation, did a roaring business by charging exorbitant rates on Friday.