Residents battle water shortage, tanker mafia profiteering amid administrative neglect
Six out of nine water filtration plants are in disrepair in Karachi city, where only 150 cylinders of chlorine are available each month. PHOTO: PIXABAY
KARACHI:
The city is facing a severe water shortage as repair work on a major 84-inch water pipeline has disrupted supply to large parts of the city. Residents in areas including Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, PIB Colony, Saddar, Old City, DHA, and Gulbahar have gone four days without water, relying on expensive tankers to meet basic needs.
According to the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), a leak was detected in the 84-inch main line near Block 19 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, prompting emergency repair work that began on Monday. The repair caused a reduction of 200 million gallons per day from the Dhabeji pumping station, severely affecting water distribution across the city.
While KWSC claims the repair was completed ahead of schedule — 48 hours earlier than the 96-hour timeline — and water supply would gradually resume from Wednesday evening through Thursday, residents remain sceptical. Frequent pipeline bursts, leakages, and breakdowns have become routine, leaving citizens struggling to access even basic drinking water.
The crisis has hit workplaces and public spaces hard. Employees at the important business hub of Sohrab Centre reported two days without water, while mosques in affected areas have insufficient water even for ablutions.
The repair work has also disrupted water supply from hydrants at Landhi and Sherpao, while areas around Safoora and Nipa Chaurangi face severe shortages. The KWSC spokesperson said all available resources were deployed to expedite repairs and apologised for the inconvenience, describing the work as “technical and critical.”
Despite official assurances, Karachi residents continue to bear the brunt of a failing water infrastructure, often forced to spend heavily on water tankers just to survive daily routines. The ongoing crisis underscores the urgent need for long-term planning and modernised water management in the city.
PST warns of protests
Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) Chairman Engineer Muhammad Sarwat Ejaz Qadri said depriving citizens of a basic necessity like water reflects the height of mismanagement and administrative failure. He noted that in many parts of the city, residents are desperately waiting for water while relevant departments remain limited to claims and announcements.
He pointed to frequent pipeline bursts, widespread leakages, delayed repairs, and what he described as unfair distribution as clear evidence that responsible institutions have failed to fulfil their constitutional and legal obligations. “Valuable water is flowing onto the streets, while citizens are forced to buy it at exorbitant rates from the tanker mafia,” he said, calling it nothing short of open exploitation.
According to Qadri, the ongoing shortage has paralysed domestic life and is severely affecting hospitals, educational institutions, and business activities. Children, women, and the elderly are facing immense hardship, he added, lamenting that public issues do not appear to be a priority for the authorities. He termed the situation a blatant violation of citizens’ fundamental human rights. Qadri warned that if Karachi’s residents are not provided with clean, sufficient, and affordable water without delay, PST reserves the right to stage organised and peaceful protests alongside the public.
