Gwadar, 14 March 2022 (TDI): With the support of a Chinese grant of about Rs. 2 billion, the government has approved a 1.2 MGD (million gallons per day) water desalination facility for Gwadar, which will offer fresh drinkable water to the city’s residents.

Initially, the federal government approved a development strategy for water desalination on the basis of a 50:50 cost-sharing mechanism between the center as well as the provincial government of Balochistan.

The federal government also contributed Rs. 138 million to the project, however, it was never completed. The provincial government subsequently requested that the Center adjust the project cost and pay for it entirely, despite its inability to do so on a cost-sharing basis.

The project’s cost was then increased upwards to Rs. 978 million. The remaining Rs. 840 million of the total Rs. 978 million was given by the Centre, which had already provided Rs. 138 million for the project. Despite discharging the whole amount, the 2MGD desalination plant was unable to start up.

The PC-1 for the construction of a 1.2 MGD reverse osmosis desalination plant with related infrastructure to provide fresh water to residents of Gwadar, particularly those living in the project area, was approved by the CDWP here on Monday night by a lucky stroke of luck.

For a long time, the people of Gwadar city lacked reliable and sustainable access to drinking water. Their main supply of water is the Ankara Dam, which, due to recurrent droughts, is unable to even meet the city’s drinking water needs. 

Residents have been compelled to purchase often costly water on a daily basis. The city of Gwadar’s current water demand is 4.2 MGD per day, whereas the government’s supply is only 2.0 MGD.

The only available natural source of water within Gwadar city is the sea, hence the Sea Water ROD plant is anticipated to answer the city’s main problem.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR