Karachi faces water shortage as second power breakdown hits Dhabeji within days

Karachi may face a shortage of 100 million gallons of water per day (MGD) after a power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station disrupted a key pipeline, the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said in a statement on Sunday.

According to KWSC, the breakdown occurred in Phase 2 of the Dhabeji pumping station, resulting in the shutdown of two pumps and damage to Line No. 5 of the water supply system.

A KWSC spokesperson said the power failure—caused by K-Electric—could create a shortage of 100 MGD in Karachi. Repair work on the affected pipeline near Thatta is underway on an emergency basis, the spokesperson added.

This marks the second power breakdown at Dhabeji within days. On the night of November 13, a similar breakdown caused a shortfall of 40 MGD in the city’s water supply. That outage was attributed to a cable fault, which had shut down two major pumps at the K-3 pump house.

Meanwhile, K-Electric (KE) issued a statement clarifying that alternative power sources are currently supplying electricity to the Dhabeji pumping station. However, water seepage from pipelines is creating difficulties for repair crews and damaging underground cables. KE said the issue of water leakage has been formally reported to the relevant authorities.