Dhabeji Pumping Station Breakdown Sparks Water Crisis Fear in Karachi

KARACHI: A major breakdown at the Dhabeji Pumping Station has severely disrupted water supply to Karachi, raising fears of a worsening water crisis in the city.
According to reports, the disruption occurred due to a power failure and bursting of water supply lines at the pumping station. Repair work is already underway, but officials warned that it may take another three to four days to fully restore normal operations.
The breakdown has significantly affected water distribution as multiple supply lines, including lines 1, 2, and 5, were already under maintenance. The situation worsened when 17-inch pipelines burst following the recent power outage.
As a result, water supply to nearly 50 percent of Karachi has been suspended, leaving residents of several areas without regular access to water. Affected localities include Landhi, Korangi, Malir, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, PIB Colony, Jamshed Road, Old City Area, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Mahmoodabad, Defence, and Clifton, among others.
The city requires around 1.2 billion gallons of water daily, while the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation currently supplies only about 650 million gallons under normal conditions.
Officials said that due to the breakdown, supply has now dropped significantly, with only half of the usual water being provided. They urged citizens to use water carefully until the situation improves.
A spokesperson for the water utility said that repair work on the damaged lines could take three to four days, after which normal supply would be restored.
He added that nine pumps at Dhabeji are currently out of operation, further reducing supply. Normally, the station supplies around 550 million gallons of water per day to Karachi, but at present only about 300 million gallons are being delivered.