Pakistan: Residents of Karachi hold protest against water shortage
Residents of Pakistan's Northern Karachi stormed Nagan Chowrangi pumping station to protest against persistent water shortage, local media reported on Monday.
Islamabad: Residents of Pakistan’s Northern Karachi stormed Nagan Chowrangi pumping station to protest against persistent water shortage, local media reported on Monday.
A large number of women were part of the demonstration held on Sunday, during which protesters engaged in heated argument with staff of Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), leading Pakistani daily ‘The Express Tribune’ reported. Some angry protesters even allegedly tried to manhandle the staff.
Protesters said that the KWSC failed to restore water supply to their homes for over a month despite repeated assurances. Many women said that purchasing water tankers had become unaffordable and unsustainable for households already facing financial crisis.
While protesting, residents shouted slogans “Pani do, pani do” (give us water) and demanded immediate restoration of supplies. Police reached the site after receiving reports of the unrest and held talks with the protesters.
Karachi has been facing a severe water shortage in November as prolonged electricity outages disrupt major pumping stations, according to the statement released by KWSC spokesperson statement on Saturday.
KWSC spokesperson said that Karachi has faced a shortfall of 884 million gallons of water in the first 23 days of November due to ongoing power outages, Pakistan-based The News International reported.
According to the statement released on Sunday, KWSC spokesperson said repeated power disruptions by K-Electric halted operations at multiple
In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson said that repeated electricity suspensions by K-Electric disrupted operations at several pumping facilities.
KWSC officials said the repeated power outages halted pumping operations for several hours at a time, impacting water supply across Karachi. They urged K-Electric to ensure uninterrupted electricity at all major pumping stations to stop future disruptions.
The spokesperson stated that KWSC is maintaining close coordination with K-Electric to minimise disruption. He further said that water supply in Karachi has returned to normal after power supply was restored and further improvements are being implemented.
