Karachi experienced a blistering heatwave on Sunday, May 3, with temperatures hitting 40.9°C, according to a report by Dawn. The extreme weather left residents devastated as basic utilities collapsed, and millions suffered acute water shortages and relentless power cuts.
A meteorological official stated that the intense heat, combined with stifling humidity, made the 'feel-like' temperature peak at 46°C. The scorching conditions are expected to persist through the week, leaving the population with crumbling infrastructure in a dire state.
The water crisis in Karachi has deepened due to ruptured pipelines and power failures at pumping stations. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) claimed to have repaired a pre-stressed reinforced concrete cylinder (PRCC) pipeline, but ground reports contradict the assurances of normalcy.
While Karachi has a daily requirement of 650 million gallons per day, they are receiving around 610 million gallons, leaving a shortfall of approximately 40 million gallons. Desperate citizens have been driven to purchase water from private tankers at exploitative rates.
Frequent power outages during the heatwave made living conditions worse, with K-Electric refusing to halt loadshedding. The life-threatening heat forced residents out of their homes, with many taking to the streets in Mauripur to protest against being denied basic utilities.
Lawmakers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan have held the provincial government responsible for the ongoing crisis, calling them out for their 'incompetence, negligence and mismanagement.' The standoff between the desperate public and the administration is likely to plague Pakistan's largest commercial hub further.
