Karachi's residents left parched as water supply drops to a trickle

KARACHI: The teeming metropolis of over 30 million people has been in the grip of a gruelling water crisis as supply remains suspended in multiple neighbourhoods for the past six days, making life harder in the sizzling heat of unforgiving summer.

The situation has been triggered following the power outage at the Dhabeji pumping station in early April, resulting in damage to three transmission lines.

While Line No 5 has been repaired, repair work on Line No 1 and 2 is still underway, even after six days.

As a consequence of the situation, water supply has been disrupted in some areas of the city such as Korangi, Landhi, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Liaquatabad, PIB Colony, Nazimabad, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, and Chanesar Goth, among others.

Sources at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board said that due to the outage and ensuing repairs, seven pumping stations at the Dhabeji pumping station have ceased functioning, resulting in the failure to provide water to the city.

However, they said that work is underway to restore the lines, with chances of resuming operations by Sunday. But they warned that the water supply would take 24 hours after the completion of repair work.