According to the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), the outage occurred at 6:35 am on Sunday in the second phase of the pumping station. The sudden disruption caused the 72-inch line No. 5 to burst yet again — a line that has ruptured multiple times in recent months. KWSC officials said they have repeatedly sought explanations for the frequent failures of this key pipeline but have not received a satisfactory response.
The breakdown led to the shutdown of four pumps, creating a shortfall of nearly 100 million gallons of water across Karachi. Repair work on the damaged line has been initiated on an emergency basis and is expected to be completed by Monday, after which the remaining pumps will be restored to full operation.
K-Electric (KE) said power to the second phase of the pumping station was fully restored by 9 am. Two pumps were immediately reactivated, while the other two will resume functioning once pipeline repairs are completed. KE added that the pumping station has been shifted to alternative power sources, but water leakage near underground cables has damaged electrical infrastructure and complicated restoration efforts. The utility said it has formally notified the relevant authorities of the leakage issue.
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Sunday’s incident marks the third major breakdown at Dhabeji in just seven days and the fourth this month. Significant outages were previously reported on November 5, 11 and 13 due to cable faults in KE’s Fourth Phase, Second Phase and K-3 Pump House. With Dhabeji responsible for supplying 70 to 75 per cent of Karachi’s water, the repeated disruptions have raised serious concerns about the city’s water security.
Water supply has been severely affected in several localities, including Korangi, Landhi, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Federal B Area, North Nazimabad, PIB Colony, Liaquatabad, Jamshed Road and surrounding neighborhoods. Many of these areas had already been experiencing shortages due to earlier breakdowns this month.
Authorities have warned that water availability across various parts of the city may remain severely affected for the next 24 to 48 hours until the system stabilizes and all repair work at Dhabeji is completed.