Karachi's water promise meets a dry reality

The city's water supply system was thrown into disarray on Sunday after a power breakdown at the Dhabeji Pumping Station knocked out 10 of its 21 pumps, leaving large swathes of Karachi high and dry and raising fears of a fresh urban water crisis. The disruption came just a day after the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) signed an agreement for construction of the Dumlottee pipeline, billed as a major step towards strengthening the city's water supply network. The breakdown occurred around 6am at the pumping station, the city's main lifeline for water supply. According to the Water Corporation spokesperson, around 150 million gallons of water could not be supplied to Karachi following the disruption. K-Electric teams are carrying out repair work after cable faults were reported at six locations. The power utility is expected to restore electricity by late Sunday night, according to available information. However, even if power is restored as expected, the Water Corporation has warned that water supplies will not immediately return to normal. Officials said it could take up to two days for the city's water distribution system to stabilise after the pumping station resumes full operations. The Dhabeji station normally supplies Karachi through 21 pumps, but only 11 were operational following the power failure. Once electricity is restored, the affected lines will have to be charged before water can be supplied to different areas in phases. The disruption is expected to affect a wide swathe of the metropolis, including Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Nazimabad, Gulberg, PIB Colony, Jamshed Road, the Old City Area, Mahmoodabad, DHA and Clifton, among other localities. The Water Corporation said water supply would be restored in phases once electricity was available at the pumping station, and urged citizens to use available water sparingly in the coming days. Just a day before the Dhabeji breakdown, the KW&SC and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) signed an agreement for the Rs14 billion Dumlottee pipeline project, which is expected to provide an additional 10 million gallons of water daily to DHA and Clifton. The project is scheduled to begin next week and is targeted for completion within 12 months. Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab had said the additional supply would help ease shortages in the two areas and strengthen Karachi's water supply system.