Pakistan’s Biggest City Is Running Out Of Water, Gas, Electricity: What's Happening In Karachi
Pakistan’s Biggest City Is Running Out Of Water, Gas, Electricity: What's Happening In Karachi Published By, Last Updated: June 01, 2026, 11:43 IST Karachi has
Pakistan’s Biggest City Is Running Out Of Water, Gas, Electricity: What's Happening In Karachi Published By, Last Updated: June 01, 2026, 11:43 IST Karachi has now entered its second consecutive month of water shortages. Thousands of families have become dependent on water tankers and private suppliers. A vendor cools off during a hot summer day at a livestock market on the outskirts of Karachi on May 19, 2026 ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP) While Pakistan continues to grapple with the fallout of India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance, millions of residents in Karachi are facing severe shortages of water, gas and electricity. The worsening breakdown of essential services has disrupted daily life across the country’s financial hub during the peak summer season. According to a recent Dawn report, the breakdown of essential services has left families unable to cook, bathe or preserve food during a period of intense heat. The shortages have also sparked protests across parts of Pakistan’s financial capital, with residents blocking roads and expressing anger at utility providers over prolonged disruptions during one of the country’s most important religious festivals.
The most serious complaints have centred on gas and electricity supplies, with residents accusing utility companies of failing to deliver services despite assurances that supplies would remain uninterrupted. Water supply hit The latest crisis intensified after a fault in a major electricity cable affected Karachi’s water distribution system. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) said the city is facing a shortfall of 54 million gallons per day after power supply to the North East Karachi Pumping Station was cut.The utility warned that the shortage could worsen if the damaged cable network is not repaired quickly. The announcement came only a day after an emergency power shutdown at the Dhabeji Pumping Station had already disrupted water supplies in several parts of the city. According to KWSC, electricity supply to the North East Karachi Pumping Station was abruptly suspended at 3:27 a.m. on May 31. As a result, operations at the K-II Pumping Station were affected, leading to interruptions in water distribution. Emergency measures fall short KWSC said it contacted K-Electric after the outage and a technical team was sent to investigate the problem. According to the water utility, K-Electric confirmed that a fault in the main cable supplying power to the K-II Pumping Station had caused the disruption.
The power company later arranged an emergency backfeed through the K-III feeder and partially restored electricity supply at 5:50 a.m. However, the water corporation said the alternative arrangement had limited capacity and was unable to restore pumping operations fully. KWSC warned that unless the fault is repaired immediately and permanently, the city’s water shortage could become even more severe. The corporation acknowledged that the disruption could affect water supply schedules across different parts of Karachi. Second month of crisis Karachi has now entered its second consecutive month of water shortages. Thousands of families have become dependent on water tankers and private suppliers as regular supplies remain unreliable. For many residents, obtaining water has become a daily struggle. Long queues for tankers, dry household taps and rising costs have added to the difficulties faced by families already dealing with inflation and economic pressures. Ageing infrastructure under strain According to Dawn, the crisis began in late March and has continued because of multiple failures across the city’s utility network. Major pipeline leaks, repeated bursts in ageing transmission lines, chronic power outages at pumping stations and recurring technical faults have repeatedly disrupted water distribution.
The latest dispute has also highlighted tensions between public utilities, with KWSC urging K-Electric to take urgent steps to repair the damaged infrastructure. While the water corporation said it is monitoring the situation and using all available resources to restore services, many areas of Karachi continue to face prolonged shortages as the crisis shows little sign of easing. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Islamabad, Pakistan First Published: June 01, 2026, 11:43 IST News world Pakistan’s Biggest City Is Running Out Of Water, Gas, Electricity: What's Happening In Karachi Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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