KARACHI: The ongoing development work for the Red Line BRT and K-IV Augmentation projects on University Road has led to critical infrastructure damage, plunging several areas of Karachi into a severe water shortage. According to officials from the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), underground utility pipelines are being ruptured on a daily basis due to reckless heavy excavation by construction crews. This recurring damage has drastically disrupted the city’s water distribution network and compounded the miseries of local residents.
The infrastructure crisis escalated further when a massive 55-inch main line near the Old Sabzi Mandi was severely damaged by the Red Line BRT construction, cutting off the water supply to multiple neighborhoods before being restored through emergency repairs. Shortly after, on Tuesday morning, a 6-inch pipeline was breached during K-IV augmentation work, suspending the water supply to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13-D/3, Baloch Goth, and adjoining areas. KWSC officials have confirmed that repair work on this latest breach is currently underway and is expected to be completed by Wednesday morning.
Expressing deep concern over the situation, the KWSC spokesperson stated that detailed utility maps and infrastructure blueprints had already been shared with both the Red Line management and the KWSSIP project authorities. Despite this, contracting crews continue to operate without adequate caution. The Water Corporation has issued a formal appeal to both executing bodies, urging them to exercise strict care near active water lines, as the citizens of Karachi are currently facing a double penalty: enduring agonizing daily commutes on University Road while simultaneously suffering from a severe water crisis at home.
