Power supply to Karachi’s Papri Pumping Station has been suspended for more than 12 hours after a cable supplying electricity to the facility was reportedly stolen from the K-Electric system. The outage has raised concerns about possible water shortages in several parts of the city.
According to a spokesperson for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), the power supply was cut off at around 9:40 am. More than 12 hours later, electricity had still not been restored, which could affect a significant part of Karachi’s water distribution system.
The Water Corporation said the disruption could affect the supply of around 145 million gallons of water. Residents in Landhi, Korangi, Malir and Ibrahim Hyderi could face interruptions as a result.
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Water supply may also be reduced or delayed in Shah Faisal Colony, PNS Mehran, PAF Base Faisal, Karsaz, DHA and Qayyumabad.
K-Electric informed the Water Corporation that the power outage was caused by the theft of a cable supplying electricity to the pumping station. Officials from both organisations are working together to restore the power supply and limit the impact on water distribution across the city.
The Water Corporation said regular water distribution would resume once electricity is restored to the pumping station.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by Karachi’s water infrastructure due to electricity outages and network-related problems. The city has also experienced major water losses because of illegal connections and theft. During anti-theft operations, KWSC and Sindh Rangers reported recovering around 25 million gallons per day (MGD) of stolen water.