Water supply resumes partially after burst line repaired

Water supply was partially resumed to various areas of the East and Central districts of the city on Sunday after the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) repaired its main 66-inch-diameter line that had burst inside the University of Karachi on Friday.

According to details shared by the water board, it took two days to repair the water line and it is in working condition. However, the KWSB spokesperson said water is yet to resume full capacity in the line coming all the way from Dhabeji, adding that another leak is possible.

He said water supply will be resumed to its full capacity in less than 24 hours. He explained that since the line is coming from Dhabeji, it takes a few hours to attain proper pressure in the line.

The most affected areas are District Central and its adjoining areas. The miseries of the residents of the Central and East districts, who are already facing an acute water shortage, was aggravated due to the damaged line. Water gushing out of the line inundated a large portion of University Road, causing a traffic jam for hours.

KWSB Managing Director Asadullah Khan issued directives for an immediate repair of the line after the leak. The water board said the line was damaged after water was released in it with pressure to address the water scarcity issue of District Central.

As a result of the high pressure, the 66-inch-diameter line was damaged on Friday inside KU. A KWSB statement said the line, which goes to District Central through the university, is over 50 years old.

However, this was not the first time that the line developed cracks. “The point where the water line burst had already been welded a few years ago,” said KWSB official Hassan Rizvi in a video statement released to the media.