Residents of North Karachi burst into the Nagan Chowrangi pumping station early Sunday morning, furious over a severe water shortage that has dragged on for weeks.
Many women joined the protest and confronted Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) staff, accusing the utility of failing to restore supply despite repeated promises.
They said they could no longer afford costly tankers and demanded immediate action, chanting “Pani do, pani do.” Police from Taimuria station stepped in and held talks with the crowd, after which the protest ended peacefully.
Meanwhile, the water and power utilities continue pointing fingers at each other. KWSC blames persistent electricity outages for Karachi’s crippling water shortages, saying major pumping stations were severely disrupted throughout November.
According to KWSC, Dhabeji remained without power for over 132 hours, causing a shortfall of 424 million gallons, while long breakdowns at Dumlottee, North East Karachi, Hub, Pipri, and Gharo combined to push the overall deficit to 884 million gallons for the month.
Officials warned that repeated cable faults were damaging vital pumping machinery and stressed the need for backup feeders, new cables, and urgent technical upgrades.
K-Electric, however, insists its power supply is stable and says leaking KWSC pipelines are flooding underground cables, making repairs dangerous and slow.
The utility says it has repeatedly warned KWSC about pipeline leaks, which leave cables submerged and cause faults and outages. While both sides trade blame, the city’s residents continue to suffer from a disrupted water supply and mounting frustration.