Karachi Faces Water Shortage After Power Breakdown at Dhabeji Pumping Station

The city of Karachi may experience a severe water shortage of up to 100 million gallons per day (MGD) following a power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station, which disrupted a critical water supply pipeline, the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

According to KWSC, the breakdown occurred at Phase 2 of the Dhabeji pumping station, leading to the shutdown of two major pumps and damage to Line No. 5 of the city’s water supply system. As a result, Karachi’s water supply has been significantly impacted, and the city faces the possibility of losing 100 MGD of water.

A KWSC spokesperson explained that the power failure was caused by K-Electric and stated, “The power failure—caused by K-Electric—could create a shortage of 100 MGD in Karachi.” Repair work is already underway on an emergency basis to fix the affected pipeline near Thatta, which is expected to take some time.

This is the second power outage at the Dhabeji station within days. Earlier, on November 13, another power failure resulted in a 40 MGD shortfall in Karachi’s water supply. That breakdown was traced to a cable fault, which led to the shutdown of two major pumps at the K-3 pump house.

Meanwhile, K-Electric (KE) has issued a statement addressing the issue, assuring that alternative power sources are being used to supply electricity to the Dhabeji pumping station. However, KE acknowledged that water seepage from pipelines has been complicating repair efforts and causing damage to underground cables. The company also noted that the issue of water leakage has been formally reported to the relevant authorities for further action.

As the repair work continues, Karachi’s residents are facing growing concerns over the water shortage, with efforts to resolve the issue expected to take some time.