Karachi: Frustration over a severe water shortage boiled over in North Karachi on Saturday night. Enraged residents stormed the Nagan Chowrangi water pumping station to protest a water crisis that has persisted for one month.
A large crowd from Sector 11-E gathered at the station and confronted staff from the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC). Eyewitnesses reported heated arguments, with some protesters attempting to physically assault the employees.
The protesters voiced their extreme frustration. They stated their homes had received no water for 30 days. Furthermore, they accused the KWSC of repeatedly breaking its promises to restore the supply. Many women at the protest highlighted the financial burden. They explained that buying water from private tankers had become unaffordable for most families.
Officials from the Taimuria Police arrived and negotiated with the demonstrators. Following successful talks, the crowd dispersed peacefully. This protest comes amid a major city-wide water shortage. Reports from two days earlier confirm a power disruption at the K-III pumping station. This failure has created a massive deficit of 335 million gallons of water.
According to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (KWSSIP), a cable fault caused the problem. Repair teams have struggled to fix it for over 13 hours. This is the second such failure in a week. A previous 41-hour power breakdown ended on November 20. However, power to the K-III station failed again after just a few hours due to another cable fault.
The recurring power outage has disrupted the water supply to several key areas, including North Nazimabad, Gulberg Town, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and Scheme 33.
