KARACHI: A power-related fault at the Dhabeji pumping complex has triggered a dispute between K-Electric and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC). Both utilities are giving sharply different accounts of the cause of the disruption that affected Karachi’s water supply.
K-Electric said a fire in bushes near the Dhabeji Pumping Complex damaged cables of KWSC, prompting the power utility to immediately deploy emergency teams to rectify the fault.
According to a K-Electric spokesperson, another fault later developed in an underground cable, but electricity supply to 20 of the complex’s 22 pumping motors remained operational.
The utility said its teams worked on an emergency basis and restored the affected connection within the shortest possible time.
K-Electric also said it had shared an advisory plan with KWSC around three months ago to strengthen the water utility’s electrical infrastructure and minimise the risk of similar incidents.
It said it was still awaiting KWSC’s final response to the proposed plan, adding that its implementation would improve the infrastructure and significantly reduce the likelihood of future faults.
KWSC, however, rejected K-Electric’s version of events and accused the power utility of attempting to shift responsibility for the disruption.
A KWSC spokesperson said the fire had occurred in K-Electric’s cable, and that the resulting power disruption affected the pumping system and consequently water supply to several areas of Karachi.
The spokesperson said the K-Electric statement had created a “wrong impression” by attributing the incident to KWSC infrastructure.
The conflicting claims have put the spotlight on the reliability of the power infrastructure serving the Dhabeji pumping complex, a critical component of Karachi’s water supply system.
The episode also underlines the need for stronger coordination and timely infrastructure upgrades by both utilities to prevent power failures from disrupting water supplies to the city.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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