Karachi: Pakistan’s largest city is struggling with a worsening water shortage as millions of residents face disrupted supplies during the peak summer season, adding to broader concerns about the country’s water security.
The crisis comes at a time when the Indus Waters Treaty remains under strain following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. However, the immediate causes of Karachi’s shortages appear to be linked primarily to local supply, infrastructure and governance challenges rather than any direct impact from treaty-related developments.
Opposition Targets Sindh Government
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, criticised the provincial government over the city’s chronic water shortages.
Speaking during Eid-ul-Adha celebrations, he accused the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of failing to resolve Karachi’s longstanding water problems despite governing Sindh province for nearly two decades.
He also alleged shortcomings in sanitation and waste management services during the holiday period, claiming public funds were not being used effectively.
Majority of City Affected
Reports indicate that nearly 70% of Karachi has experienced prolonged disruptions in water supply, forcing many residents to depend on costly private water tankers as temperatures remain high.
Several neighbourhoods, including Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Azizabad, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad and North Karachi, have reportedly faced acute shortages for more than two weeks.
The opposition has challenged statements by Murtaza Wahab that the city is not facing a significant water shortage.
Is the Indus Waters Treaty Deadlock Responsible?
While concerns over the future of the Indus Waters Treaty have heightened anxiety in Pakistan, Karachi’s current crisis is largely viewed as a result of domestic factors:
- Rapid population growth and increasing water demand.
- Aging and inefficient water infrastructure.
- Distribution losses and leakage.
- Alleged mismanagement and governance failures.
- Dependence on tanker networks in many parts of the city.
That said, any prolonged uncertainty surrounding the Indus river system could intensify Pakistan’s broader water-security concerns, as the country relies heavily on the Indus basin for agriculture, drinking water and power generation.
Water Security Emerging as Major Challenge
The Karachi shortages highlight a larger issue confronting Pakistan: balancing growing urban demand with limited and increasingly stressed water resources.
With recurring shortages, climate-related pressures and political disputes over water management, experts have repeatedly warned that water security could become one of the country’s most significant long-term challenges, particularly in major urban centres such as Karachi.
