KARACHI, Oct 31: Almost the entire city faced water shortage due to power failure at the KWSB’s five major water installations — Dhabeji, Gharo, Pipri, Hub Dam and North-East Karachi (Both Old and K-2) pumping stations in the small hours of Wednesday.
Water supply to the city from these major pumping stations remained suspended for different durations, causing a shortfall of around 100 million gallons of water. This means that most parts of the metropolis will again have to suffer on Thursday on account of less pumping of water from these pumping stations.
According to the KWSB officials, there was no electricity at its Dhabeji pumping station (Old) on Wednesday from 5:25am to 9am; at Hub Dam PS from 5:30am to 9am; at Pipri PS from 4am to 4pm; NEK (Old) PS from 2:20am to 3:35pm and again from 5:25am to 6:25pm. Power supply at NEK (K-2 supply) went off thrice on Wednesday.
The localities which either went dry or received scant supply of water due to suspension in pumping of water at Dhabeji, Pipri and Gharo, on Wednesday, included Landhi, Korangi, Federal ‘B’ Area, North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Old City Area, Shah Faisal Colony, Mehmoodabad and adjoining localities.
With the stoppage of pumping for several hours at the NEK (Old and K-2) and Hub Dam, water supply to Banaras, Baldia, Orangi, North Karachi, Surjani Town and parts of former district West which include North Nazimabad, Nazimabad and Paposhnagar was badly affected.
Asked about the impact of the short supply of water in the city of Thursday, the KWSB Superintending Engineer (Electrical and Mechanical), Gulzar Memon, said that almost the entire city will face water shortage even on Thursday because the city had suffered a shortfall about 100 mgd in the wake of power failure at its major pumping stations.
Quoting KESC officials, he attributed the cause of power failure at the KWSB pumping stations to heavy fog.
Meanwhile, the KWSB sources said that although the entire city will experience water shortage, different localities of former districts West and Central will either go completely dry or receive inadequate supply with low pressure on Thursday.
Complaints of unavailability of water were also reported from Gulshan-i-Iqbal blocks 13-D-3, 13-A, 13-D and Dadabhoy Town.