Karachi water crisis deepens as power outage hits Dhabeji Pumping Station
• No time frame given for restoring normal supply • Residents say water shortages always worsen during important events and religious festivals in Karachi KARACHI: Already struggling with a worsening water shortage during the three days of Eid, residents of the metropolis faced another uncertainty on Saturday after an emergency power shutdown at the Dhabeji Pumping Station disrupted the water supply to several parts of the city. This has been the second month of an acute water crisis in Karachi that has left taps dry, created long queues for water bowsers and frayed tempers. The fresh crisis was announced by Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) in a statement on Saturday evening with the most alarming aspect being the utility was unable to provide any time frame for restoring the normal water supply leaving residents uncertain about how long the disruption would continue. According to the KWSC statement, K-Electric informed the utility that a major fault had developed in Transformer No. 1 at the Dhabeji Grid Station, necessitating an emergency shutdown at 6:30pm. “As a result of the power outage, 10 out of 21 pumping units at the Dhabeji Pumping Station were forced to shut down, significantly affecting the city’s water transmission system and disrupting water supply to various parts of Karachi,” it said. “The K-Electric had initially indicated that the shutdown would last for approximately one hour. However, no definitive timeline for the complete restoration of power has yet been provided. The KWSC is closely monitoring the situation and remains in constant contact with K-Electric officials to ensure the earliest possible restoration of electricity and the resumption of normal water supply operations.” The KWSC, it added, has urged residents to use water judiciously during the disruption and assured citizens that updates will be provided as more information becomes available regarding the restoration p...
Original source: Dawn Pakistan