North Karachi residents storm pumping station over month-long water shortage

KARACHI: Enraged residents of North Karachi stormed the Nagan Chowrangi water pumping station late Saturday night to protest an acute water shortage that has persisted for the past month, ARY News reported on Sunday.

A large number of residents from Sector 11-E, including many women, gathered at the pumping station and confronted the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) staff.

According to eyewitnesses, heated arguments broke out, and some protesters even attempted to physically assault the staff.

The protesters complained that their homes had been without water for a month and that the KWSC had repeatedly failed to fulfil its promises to restore the supply.

Women participating in the protest said that purchasing water from tankers had become unaffordable, adding to their frustration. The demonstrators also chanted slogans demanding an immediate water supply.

Upon receiving information about the protest, Taimuria Police arrived at the scene and held negotiations with the residents. After successful talks, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Two days earlier, it was reported that the city is currently facing a shortage of 335 million gallons of water due to a power disruption at the K-III station, which began at 12 AM on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. This was confirmed by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP), ARY News reported.

The KWSSIP informed that, despite 13 hours having passed, the cable fault could not be fixed. This comes just days after a prior power breakdown occurred on November 18.

K-Electric had restored the electricity after a 41-hour hiatus on November 20. However, after running for just a few hours, power to the K-III pumping station was shut down again due to another cable fault.

The power disruption at the pumping station has suspended water supply to North Nazimabad, Gulberg Town, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and Scheme 33.