Seven-foot diameter main line repair to cut 200 MGD from Dhabeji supply; several areas to face shortages
KARACHI:
Water supply to several areas of the metropolitan city will remain suspended or reduced for four days from Monday due to repair work on a major 84-inch diameter main line, the Karachi Water and Sanitation Corporation (KWSC) announced on Sunday.
According to a KWSC spokesperson, leakage was detected in the Phase-I 84-inch main water line located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 19.
The corporation has decided to carry out urgent repairs to eliminate all leakages and stabilise the city’s water supply system, particularly in view of Ramazan.
Formal repair work will commence at 12 noon on Monday and is expected to be completed within 96 hours. Specialised technical teams will remain present at the site throughout the operation.
To facilitate the repair work, water supply from Dhabeji will be temporarily reduced, resulting in a shortfall of around 200 million gallons per day (MGD).
Karachi currently receives around 650 MGD of water, but during the repair period, supply will drop to about 450 MGD, the KWSC spokesperson said.
However, water supply from Hub, Gharo and other pumping stations will continue as usual without interruption.
Due to the reduced supply, areas including Clifton, DHA, Korangi, Malir, Landhi, Shah Faisal, Gulshan, Jinnah, Chanesar, Saddar, and Lyari will face disruption in water supply. The Landhi and Sherpao hydrants will also remain closed during the repair work.
The spokesperson said that upon completion of the operation, the city’s water transmission system would see improvement and the longstanding issue of leakages would be addressed. He appealed to consumers to use water judiciously during the repair period.
Meanwhile, sources claimed that under the guise of repair work, water supply to a large portion of the city would remain severely affected.
Earlier on Thursday, a power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station caused Line No5 of the MS system and Line No2 of the PRC system to burst, disrupting water supply to several parts of the city.
However, K-Electric later completed repair work on Line No5, which had been damaged due to the breakdown. Following the restoration, water supply to the city had resumed.
