KARACHI: A day after Karachi University teachers demanded probe into alleged negligence of the water utility over a pipeline burst, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation on Friday claimed that the design life of the damaged 84-inch line had come to an end as it had been laid around 70 years ago.

The pipeline rupture has caused an acute water crisis in several localities of the metropolis, causing hardship to citizens.

The rupture in one of the two 84-inch supply lines of Siphon No 19 had developed leakage on Tuesday, which flooded a vast area of the university, including the staff’s residential colony, that also caused significant damage to the property on the campus.

In a video statement, KWSC Chief Operating Officer Engineer Asadullah Khan said that water pipelines at Syphon 19, located near the University of Karachi, were several decades old and one of the lines was laid in 1956, while the other was installed in 1971.

“These pipelines have respectively completed a long span of 69 and 54 years, and their design lifetime has now come to an end,” he added.

Engineer Khan said that the two 84-inch diameter pipelines at Syphon 19 that began from Saadi Town and extended to the university were made of Pre-stressed Reinforced Cement Concrete (PRCC) and one of them was 16,000 feet long.

He said that the U-shaped lines in the syphon caused an increase in water pressure, and the water flowing through these U-shaped lines generated significantly more pressure compared to regular straight conduit lines. “As a result, old and weakened pipelines cannot withstand the excessive pressure, leading to bursts when the pressure rises,” he explained.

The KWSC COO clarified that the pipelines coming from Dhabeji to Karachi followed a straight conduit path and did not experience the pressure associated with U-shaped lines, this was why they remained safe.

He further stated that the damaged PRCC line was being replaced with an MS (Mild Steel) pipe, and on both sides of the pipe, four tonnes of “Sikka” would be poured after being heated to 300 degrees Celsius to ensure the strength and durability of the pipeline.

He expressed the hope that the repair work would be completed by Saturday evening, after which the water supply will return to normal.

Meanwhile, Site Association of Industry President Ahmed Azeem Alvi said that industries in the SITE area of Karachi had not received water supply for the past two weeks, bringing industrial production to a halt.

He said that the acute water shortage had severely impacted all industries, particularly textile processing units, which rely heavily on water.

“Resultantly industrialists have no option left but to close down industries and lay off workers, as supply through tankers is not only extremely expensive but also scarce,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2025