KARACHI: Residents of district Central on Sunday staged a protest at the Sakhi Hasan hydrant against a severe water crisis in their localities.

A number of people living in Nusrat Bhutto Colony and some other areas in North Nazimabad Town entered the hydrant and stopped the filling of tankers. They demanded that water be supplied to their areas before being given to tankers.

The protesters chanted slogans against the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) and the provincial government. Later, they dispersed peacefully.

KWSC officials said repeated shutdowns at the North-East Karachi Pumping Station had caused water shortages in district Central.

In a statement, the KWSC said that power outages at water pumping stations had been resolved and that citywide water services were normal.

It said the city experienced a total shortfall of 884 million gallons of water due to electricity disruptions.

“The Dhabeji Pumping Station was hit hardest, with 132 hours and 20 minutes of power outages leading to a shortage of 424 million gallons, while the Dumlottee Wells recorded 146 hours of outages, resulting in 111 million gallons of lost water,” the statement read.

It added that North East Karachi Pumping Station alone faced a deficit of 335 million gallons, while smaller stations saw comparatively lower shortages — six million gallons at Hub and Pipri stations and two million gallons at the Gharo station.

“All possible steps are being taken to further strengthen the water supply system in the future,” the KWSC statement said.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2025