Karachi to face water shortage during upgrade work

Residents of Karachi will face a significant water shortage over the weekend as authorities begin critical upgrade work on the city’s supply system. A shortfall of around 250 million gallons per day (MGD) is expected for 48 hours starting Saturday.

According to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, the disruption is due to the final interconnection of a newly constructed transmission line with the existing network at the Dhabeji Pumping Station. The work will begin at 12 noon on April 25 and continue until April 27.

Officials said the project is part of the KWSC Improvement Programme aimed at modernising Karachi’s ageing water infrastructure and improving long-term supply efficiency. During the maintenance period, water supply from major systems, including the Fourth Phase, K-II and K-III, will remain suspended.

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Several areas will face complete disruption, including North Karachi, Surjani Town, Scheme 33 and Gulistan-i-Jauhar. Meanwhile, parts of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Saddar and Chanesar Town are expected to experience partial shortages.

To carry out the upgrade, nine out of 21 pumps at the Dhabeji facility will be shut down. Seven pumps are expected to resume operations by April 27, while two will remain offline for an additional five days to complete technical work.

In addition, key hydrants at Nipa, Safoora and Sakhi Hasan will remain closed during the maintenance period.

Karachi typically receives around 650 MGD of water, but supply is expected to drop to approximately 400 MGD during the shutdown. Authorities say the upgrade will improve water transmission efficiency and stabilise pressure across the system once completed, benefiting residents in the long run.