pk-china-user By Yasir Habib Khan
In a significant development, Gwadar’s prolonged water crisis— which had troubled residents for months— has largely been brought under control following the completion of Rs 11 billion worth of water projects and related initiatives undertaken by the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA).
A GDA official told Gwadar Pro that the situation has improved markedly with the restoration of the Shadi Kaur pipeline, activation of a 1.2 MGD desalination plant, operationalization of 300 kilometers of water distribution lines, and functional performance of 11 pumping stations. Additionally, four modern water storage tanks have been constructed, more than 15,000 household connections have been shifted to the upgraded system, a dedicated Water Section has been established, and a formal billing mechanism is being introduced.
Speaking to the media on February 13, GDA Director General Moin-ur-Rehman Khan stated that the authority managed the crisis effectively despite extremely challenging circumstances, adding that Gwadar’s water situation has improved significantly compared to previous months.
He explained that in August 2025, the provincial government, in the public interest, transferred responsibility for water supply from the Public Health Engineering Department back to GDA. Although this posed a major administrative challenge, GDA accepted the responsibility and initiated both immediate relief measures and long-term reforms.
According to GDA Chief Engineer Haji Syed Muhammad, the transmission system linking Shadi Kaur Dam to Saudd Dam and onward to Gwadar has supplied 4,542 million gallons of water to the city since 2019, up to September 2025. During the recent crisis, GDA arranged emergency supplies totaling approximately 335 million gallons, including 84 million gallons transported by tankers from Mirani Dam, 173 million gallons from Shadi Kaur Dam, and 78 million gallons from the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) desalination plant.
The Chief Engineer noted that tanker-based supply from Mirani Dam was administratively complex due to past allegations of irregularities. However, through sustained negotiations with tanker owners and the water committee, GDA secured supply at rates below market prices. Approximately Rs 700 million was spent on tanker operations, with no reported cases of corruption during the process.
He further stated that GDA restored nearly 150 kilometers of the Shadi Kaur pipeline, which had remained non-functional for three and a half years. The restoration process faced multiple challenges, including electricity shortages, reliance on generators, recurring technical faults, theft of equipment, adverse weather, and security concerns. DG Moin-ur-Rehman Khan regularly visited project sites to monitor progress and motivate teams, accelerating completion.
Initially supplying 500,000 gallons per day, the Shadi Kaur line now delivers between 1.8 and 1.9 million gallons daily to Gwadar. Including supply to Pasni, nearby villages, and government institutions, total distribution exceeds 2.5 million gallons per day. During the crisis, with the cooperation of the Chinese government, the 12 MGD Chinese desalination plant was restored to serve the Old Town area, with active support from the Gwadar Port Authority team.
Despite inheriting outdated and deteriorated infrastructure from the Public Health Engineering Department, GDA successfully stabilized the system. Following improvements in permanent supply sources, tanker operations from Mirani Dam have been discontinued due to high costs. Gwadar now receives water primarily through the Shadi Kaur pipeline and the GPA desalination plant. New pipelines have been laid citywide, and over 15,000 domestic connections have transitioned to the upgraded system.
To ensure sustainable management, GDA is introducing a billing system, proposing a fixed monthly charge of Rs 300 for domestic consumers, while commercial users will be billed based on consumption. A dedicated Water Section has also been established, and the city has been administratively divided into North and South zones for improved oversight.
The Chief Engineer concluded that these achievements were realized under the directives of Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti and the continuous supervision of the GDA Director General.
