Karachi could face a shortfall of 100 million gallons of water per day (MGD) due to a power outage at the Dhabeji pumping station, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said on Sunday.
Dhabeji Pumping Station is a key pumping station operated by KWSC, Karachi’s sole water utility, supplying major areas of the city. Past breakdowns at the facilities have affected supply to the eastern and central districts, including areas like Nazimabad, New Karachi, Landhi and Korangi.
In a statement today, a KWSC spokesperson said the “major” power outage at the second phase of Dhabeji station was reported at 6.35am.
“Due to the power suspension, line number 5 was affected,” the KWSC official said, adding that two pumps of the second phase were shut down as a result.
“Due to the shutdown of the pumps and the impact of the line, the city could face a shortage of 100 million gallons of water,” the statement warned.
The KWSC official stated that the repair work on the affected line “will be completed urgently” and assured citizens that the management of the utility company was doing its best to complete the repair work in a timely manner.
“As soon as the repair works have been completed, the Dhabeji pumping station system will return to routine,” the spokesperson added.
The statement recalled that the K-III pumping room at Dhabeji station remained closed for 36 hours from November 5 onwards due to cable fault.
The Dhabeji pumping station, which is the city’s main water intake point, relies heavily on uninterrupted electricity. Even brief interruptions result in immediate service interruptions.
The station has been facing multiple issues related to poor maintenance and technical issues for a decade, with multiple breakdowns this year alone, leaving residents in many areas dealing with a water crisis.
Karachi faced a shortfall of 100 MGD in January after “two water pipes burst due to power outage” at Dhabeji station. The facility also remained without power for at least three days in late June, causing a 350 MGD shortfall.
Last month, a pump at the Dhabeji station was taken offline for maintenance needs, while the North East Pumping Station was already facing a power outage.
Due to persistent water shortages throughout the city, people mainly rely on water tankers. However, they face many difficulties in obtaining them, since the water company receives more reserves than the quota of water reserved for each district.
