Karachi water shortage is expected on November 13, when a 14-hour power shutdown at the Dhabeji pumping station will leave the city about 130 million gallons short. A spokesperson for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said the electricity cut runs from 10am to midnight that day, and the announcement was made on Wednesday.
Why the pumping station is going offline
K-Electric, the city's power utility, has scheduled annual maintenance at the Dhabeji grid station, which means the pumping station will lose electricity for 14 hours. Once that outage ends, the KWSC will carry out its own annual maintenance for a further 22 hours. The two works are separate, but together they add up to a combined 36 hours of disruption.
How much supply falls
During the 14 hours, nine of the station's 21 pumps will be out of service. The city's daily supply of around 650 million gallons is expected to fall to about 520 million gallons. That drop of 130 million gallons is about one fifth of the usual daily supply, so the Karachi water shortage will be significant for the areas it reaches.
When electricity returns at midnight, six of the nine suspended pumps will restart, and supply should return to normal in most affected areas. Four areas will not recover as quickly. During the 22-hour KWSC work, three pumps will stay offline, causing partial disruption in Landhi, Korangi, Malir and Shah Faisal.
Areas affected and what residents should do
The spokesperson listed Landhi, Korangi, Malir, Shah Faisal, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Clifton, Saddar, Lyari, Chanesar, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and North Karachi as areas where supply will be affected. Parts of Nazimabad and Gulberg Town will see reduced supply, and the Landhi and Sherpao hydrants will stay closed.
The KWSC has advised residents of affected areas to store enough water in advance and use it carefully until normal supply is restored. Households in the listed areas can limit the effect of the Karachi water shortage by filling storage containers before 10am on November 13. The corporation's timetable covers November 13 and the maintenance work that follows it.
Aasan alfaaz mein
13 November ko Karachi mein pani ki kami hogi, kyunki Dhabeji pumping station ki bijli subah 10 baje se raat 12 baje tak band rahegi. Is dauran 21 mein se 9 pumps band rahenge aur shehar ko lagbhag 130 million gallons kam pani milega. Landhi, Korangi, Malir aur Shah Faisal mein masla kuch der tak rahega. Pehle se pani store kar lein aur ehtiyat se istemal karein.
