The water crisis in Karachi is likely to be extended for another 24 hours owing to a 72-inch-diameter Dhabeji pumping station pipeline that burst early the other day.
Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) spokesperson claimed that the pipeline burst as a result of the fluctuation in K-Electric’s feeder that caused a buildup of back pressure in the huge pipeline at around 1:30am. The 72-inch pipeline provides 55MGD water to Karachi and is considered one of the main pipelines connected to Dhabeji pumping station.
“Around 150 million gallons of water (MGD) will be lost because of the bursting of the water pipeline,” said Abdul Rehman Shaikh, the superintendent engineer of bulk water supply. Currently, the water being supplied to Karachi after the bursting of pipeline is only 450MGD, even though the demand is as high as 1,100MGD in the metropolis.
The technical team of KWSB, along with heavy machinery, was sent to the affected area after the pipeline burst. “The repair work was initiated at 8am Tuesday morning. The repair work can last up to 24 hours, whereas another 24 to 36 hours will be required for charging the line,” Shaikh said.
Meanwhile, KWSB Managing Director Hashim Raza Zaidi showed concern over frequent power cuts and fluctuations experienced at Dhabeji and other pumping stations. According to him, the line was laid in 1972 and gets affected on a continuous basis at weak points due to the back pressure of water caused by a sudden disruption at the pumping stations.
However, Zaidi claimed that 9 alternate pipelines are being used to supply water to the areas and maximum effort is being undertaken to ensure that no areas are affected due to a shortage of water.
Sadia Dada, power utility’s communications director stated that it may be unreasonable to place the blame on K-Electric for the incident. The pumping station is exempted from load-shedding. She, however, admitted that due to unforeseen circumstances, power supply to Dhabeji pumping station was affected during the early hours on Tuesday. She further informed that a team of technicians has been appointed by K-Electric to overcome any fault in the area.