Karachi [Pakistan], September 14 (ANI): Metropolitan areas across Pakistan's financial capital face severe water supply disruptions after administrative incompetence and chronic infrastructure failures triggered yet another major power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station on Sunday morning, according to Dawn.
Dhabeji functions as the municipality's core water intake facility while remaining dangerously reliant on continuous electricity, exposing the persistent administrative neglect of local authorities, where even brief blackouts instantly paralyse distribution networks.
In an official briefing, a spokesperson for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation acknowledged that electricity to multiple operational phases collapsed sharply at 6:00 AM due to a severe cable breakdown within K-Electric's mismanaged infrastructure, Dawn reported.
“Power breakdown suspended supply to the third phase, fourth phase, and K-3 Pump House at Dhabeji,” the statement highlighted, confirming that 10 out of 21 heavy-duty pumps were rendered completely non-functional by the systemic failure.
The municipal agency conceded that citywide distribution would face partial crippling due to the mandatory shutdown of critical pumping units while local bureaucrats scrambled to coordinate restoration efforts with the power utility.
“Ten affected pumps will be made operational immediately once power is restored at Dhabeji,” the utility stated, publicly appealing to helpless residents to curb daily usage amidst mounting infrastructure chaos.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for K-Electric attempted to deflect accountability by claiming that a fire originating in nearby brushland caused the primary cable fault, exposing the complete lack of basic land management around vital installations.
The power utility representative added that technical personnel deployed to the location remained in constant coordination with municipal water officials to restore electrical supply while offering operational assistance.
Historical records compiled by Dawn reveal a pattern of systemic governance failures, noting that a similar breakdown on July 27 created a massive 48 million gallon shortfall across major localities, including North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Gulberg Town, New Karachi, Landhi, Korangi, and Scheme 33.
Earlier that same month, another avoidable electrical failure paralysed the K-2 Pump House, causing manifold chambers and primary valves to develop catastrophic faults that forced key pumping assets offline.
Further highlighting the compounding failure of local administration, supply lines originating from the Hub Pumping Station were abruptly suspended on June 1 following a major cable malfunction attributed to the power distributor, cutting off 85 million gallons per day to the metropolis, Dawn noted.
That incident marked the third consecutive day of catastrophic power failures at primary municipal installations, coming immediately after an electricity failure at the North East Karachi Pumping Station caused a staggering 122 million-gallon daily shortfall.
Compounding the crisis, an emergency shutdown at the Dhabeji facility on May 30 had previously forced nearly half of the station's 21 primary units into sudden inactivity, laying bare the profound inability of local authorities to maintain essential urban services, according to Dawn. (ANI)
Karachi water crisis deepens as repeated power failures at Dhabeji pumping station trigger massive supply disruptions
