No relief in sight as power outages continue to disrupt Karachi’s water supply for third straight day

Karachi's already strained water supply has been further crippled for the third straight day, as power outages continue to disrupt operations at crucial pumping stations. On Monday, a fault in K-Electric's main cable led to the suspension of supply from the Hub Pumping Station. This latest disruption resulted in a significant daily shortfall of 85 million gallons per day for the metropolis.

The city has been grappling with a severe water crisis for the past two months, with the recent power failures exacerbating the situation. Earlier, on May 30, a forced shutdown by K-Electric at the Dhabeji Grid for urgent repairs affected 10 of 21 pumping units, suspending water supply to several areas. The crisis escalated on Saturday when a fault in K-Electric's main supply cable at the North East Karachi (NEK) Water Pumping Station halted operations at the K-II Pumping Station, causing an immediate shortfall of 54 MGD. Although power was restored, the cumulative shortfall from that day's disruption reached 122 MGD.

These recurring power-related failures have compounded the existing water shortage, piling misery on Karachi's residents amidst scorching weather. K-Electric acknowledged the cable fault affecting supply to the Hub Pumping Station and stated that its technical teams are coordinating with the water board to ensure operational stability. The repeated disruptions highlight the vulnerability of Karachi's water distribution system, which is heavily reliant on a stable power supply.

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KE’s technical teams remain in coordination with representatives of the water board to ensure continued support and operational stability.