Karachi’s creaking infrastructure-Valve and Pipe

The bursting of an 80-inch water pipeline on University Road in Karachi, which left the main road flooded as cars submerged under several feet of water in parking areas, seems almost like a surreal scene from a movie. The fact that it was happened in one of Paksitan major cities is very troubling.

The pipeline question is 40-years-old and the massive leakage took place as Karachi Water and Sewerage Board personnel were working on it. Matters were made worse when a passing vehicle damaged a valve and leak further water onto the roads.

Quite aside from the unexpected waves rippling down a major road, the problem that the residents which from Karachi now face an acute shortage of water. KWSB authorities say they will be running short by 60 million gallons of water per day now,because of the leakage and the unanticipated loss of water. This means that the residents of many localities such as the Clifton,  Kemari and other areas in the city will meet a shortfall of water in their homes. For a city whose residents are all compelled to buy water, sometimes at exorbitant rates from tankers because there is simply not enough to meet their needs, this is really a bad news. The incident also reveals the crumbling state of Paksitan's infrastructure. It is quite evident that it is falling apart. If something like this can happen in Karachi, one thing can only imagine is the state of affairs in smaller towns where there is even less attention paid to amenities provided to c itizens. The KWSB needs to come up with better answers and think what it is doing to ensure such a situation does not recur in the future. As things stand now, there is every likelihood that similar incidents will occur again and other water pipelines and valves in the city are likely to be in no better condition. The authorities need to find a way to repair and ensure maintenance of the basic facilities such as pipe and valve .