The city’s main bulk water supply artery – the KB Feeder Canal, which brings freshwater from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi – is teetering on the brink of collapse. For over three decades, no large-scale cleaning or desilting operation has been carried out. As a result, experts warn that the canal is now operating at nearly 40 per cent below its designed capacity, leaving the metropolis increasingly vulnerable to unprecedented shortages.
The recent catastrophic floods in Punjab and Sindh have only compounded the crisis, flushing thousands of tons of silt and organic waste into Keenjhar Lake and its connected channels. Hydrologists caution that without an immediate desilting drive, Karachi could lose an additional 15 to 20 per cent capacity, further choking supply to millions already at the mercy of the tanker mafia.
Years of neglect official records of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) confirm that between 40 to 50 million gallons per day (MGD) of potential supply has been lost over the past three decades due to unchecked silting. Engineers had repeatedly flagged the issue, yet every proposal for a systematic desilting campaign was shelved – the excuses familiar: funding constraints, bureaucratic hurdles, shifting political priorities.
The cumulative impact has been devastating: the canal’s hydraulic performance has deteriorated to the point where even moderate stress events – like the recent floods – can cripple supply lines.
“This is no longer a routine operational problem. It is the compounded outcome of decades of neglect combined with climate shocks,” warned a senior hydrologist. “If urgent measures are not taken, Karachi is headed towards its worst water crisis in history.”
Citizens bear the brunt: For over 35 million residents, water shortages are nothing new. But with fresh capacity losses looming, supply cycles are expected to shrink further, forcing entire neighbourhoods into longer dry spells. The reliance on private tankers will rise, driving up household expenses and aggravating both social and economic stress for ordinary families.
The missing accountability: Project Director under fire
While institutional neglect is often blamed on “systemic failures,” much of the responsibility lies in poor project-level oversight. The Project Director of the Hub Canal rehabilitation scheme, for instance, has come under sharp criticism. Despite billions being earmarked – Rs14 billion in allocations – the project has been marred by substandard construction, flawed planning, and repeated cost overruns.
As a result, a scheme that was designed to safeguard 100 million gallons per day of additional supply is now in jeopardy, with nearly 10 MGD already compromised. Independent experts and civil society groups allege that instead of ensuring quality and transparency, the Project Director allowed consultants and contractors to cut corners.
“The problem is not just technical; it is administrative,” said a former KWSC official. “When those tasked with protecting Karachi’s lifeline fail to discharge their duties diligently, the entire city pays the price.”
A pattern of failures: The debacle echoes a broader trend in Karachi’s water governance. Major initiatives – from long-delayed expansions of the bulk supply system to the repeatedly stalled K-IV project – have suffered from the same mix of political interference, weak oversight, and misplaced priorities.
The result: as the city’s population has ballooned, its infrastructure has remained static, under-maintained, and increasingly fragile. The recent floods have brutally exposed this vulnerability.
What next?: Experts and civic activists insist that only an emergency desilting and rehabilitation programme can avert total collapse. They also demand a transparent inquiry into the Hub Canal project, holding consultants, contractors, and the Project Director accountable for billions wasted and critical supply at risk.
“Three decades of inaction have brought us here. If the provincial government and the city’s leadership still treat this crisis as business as usual, Karachi will be staring at a humanitarian disaster,” warned an urban planner.
For now, the city waits – its lifeline clogged, its citizens parched, and its trust in governance running dry.
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