PR No.146 Islamabad: January 18, 2017

Minister for Planning, Development and Reform (PD&R) Professor Ahsan Iqbal has instructed concerned authorities to immediately solve the crises of potable water shortage in Gwadar.

“Keeping in view the future expansion of Gwadar City, Port and planned industrialization, all-out efforts must be ensured,” remarked Minister PD&R while presiding a meeting at Planning Commission in in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by officials from Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, Government of Balochistan and Gwadar Development Authority.

Ahsan Iqbal directed that existing desalination plant at Karwat should be operationalized immediately. He made it clear that uninterrupted power supply from different sources has to be ensured in order to run the plant on its full capacity.

He further asked authorities to speed up work on necessary facilities of fresh water treatment, water supply and distribution project initiated under China Pakistan Economic Corridor. “This project will not only resolve this issue permanently but would cater the future growing” Ahsan Iqbal added.

Minister PD&R Ahsan Iqbal emphasized that the hospital at Gwadar should be run in a professional manner to ensure maximum health services to the local population. “An effective business model must be devised to ensure smooth functioning of this health institute”.

Earlier, Dr. Sajjad Hussain, Director General, Gwadar Development Authority (GDA), informed the participants about the drought like situation in entire Makran belt which is mainly because of dry spell.

He told that Ankara Kaur dam the main source of water in Gwadar was close to dead level because its catchment areas had not received rains for many years adding that present need is catered through water tankers from Mirani Dam.

Current need of water is 4.6 million gallons per day, which is expected to rise to 12 MGD till 2020 and 30 MGD till 2030.

To cater need of drinking water in Gwadar, the construction of first phase of Shadi Kaur Dam has been completed through Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) at the cost of Rs. 3800 million. A project of transmission lines from Swad and Shadi Kaur Dam to get 5.0 MGD water has been initiated with additional 5.0 MGD desalination plant at the cost of Rs. 7900 million.

DG GDA also briefed the meeting about existing hospital at Gwadar and its expansion plan under Chinese grant.

A three member committee comprising Member (Infra) MPDR, Secretary Health Balochistan and DG GDA was formed to explore all options for public private partnership and prepare a business model for management of the hospital at Gwadar.

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