Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan’s commercial hub, Karachi, witnessing severe water shortage due to the dry spell in the catchments’ areas of Hub Dam, the second biggest water source for the metropolis, for past two years has finally got new flows in the dam followed by the fresh monsoon spell. The water level at Hub dam on Saturday, with the increase of eleven feet, was recorded at 289 feet, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) officials said. The WAPDA officials said that due to dry spell, Hub Dam was at the dead level of 275.25 feet early at the year ultimately stopping the supply of water to city adding that because of first spell of monsoon that hit its catchments areas in June last year, the supply was resumed. “Since more flows are coming, it is estimated that water level may increase to 295 feet by today,” the officials said. The officials said the dam is with gross storage capacity of 8,57,000 acre feet adding that filled to peak or spill level capacity of 339 feet, it can supply 100 million gallons and 59 million gallons daily to Karachi and parts of Balochistan respectively for two-and-a-half years without interruption. The dam is an important source that provides 100 MGD drinking water to the metropolis. According to WAPDA officials, fresh flows of water are being received from Khuzdaar Wadh, the last catchments area lies between Khirthar Range of Sindh and Pub Range of Balochistan and is some 500 kilometres away from metropolis. “Pub Range’s drains, which lie on upper side of Sakran and Shah Noorani and fall in Hub River are full,” the officials added.