KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) has claimed to have restored supply from the Hub Dam after completing the repair work on the damaged section of the new Hub Canal in three days, instead of its earlier commitment of 36 hours.

The new Hub Canal, inaugurated on Aug 13 by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, sustained damage during the recent heavy rains. Opposition parties pointed to alleged substandard construction and demanded the formation of an independent commission to investigate the collapse of the Rs12 billion project within just 28 days of its inauguration.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to opponents for “exposing their hypocrisy”, accusing them of making false allegations without “understanding the facts.”

“The small 20-meter portion that got damaged due to flash flooding that came from Northern Bypass has been repaired and water supply from Hub Dam has been restored within 48 hours of the damage by KWSC through the existing Hub Canal contractor,” he posted.

“Unfortunately, our opponents are always too quick to hurl allegations without understanding the facts. We will continue to work and expose their hypocrisy,” the mayor stated.

A KWSC spokesperson, in a statement, said that repair work had been carried out round the clock without interruption to ensure a swift resolution to the water shortage faced by citizens.

As a result, the process of recharging the rising main and supply lines is now under way. Once the lines are fully charged, water supply to the affected districts — Central, West and Keamari — will be restored, he added.

Explaining the cause of the disruption, the spokesperson said that recent heavy rainfall, water flow from nearby mountains and a major flood stream passing through the Northern Bypass had caused significant damage to the Hub Canal. This led to a temporary halt in water supply to parts of the city.

“The KWSC apologises to the public for the inconvenience caused by the suspension of water supply and assures that all available resources are being utilised to restore full operations and prevent further hardship for residents,” the statement added.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2025