As a major development, Gwadar’s severe water crisis, that kept haunting people of Gwadar over the last many months, is largely brought under control following GDA’s Rs 11 billion water projects and other initiatives has been completed with precision, Gwadar Pro reported.

Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) official told Gwadar Pro that water issues are mitigated as Shadi Kaur line is restored, 1.2 MGD desalination plant turns operational, 300 kilometers of water distribution lines become active, and 11 pumping stations work sufficiently. Meanwhile four modern tanks have been constructed, more than 15,000 house connections have been shifted to the new system, water section is established and finally billing system is being introduced, he added.

GDA DG Moin-ur-Rehman Khan, while speaking to media on February 13, said that GDA managed the water crisis effectively under extremely difficult circumstances and that today the water situation in Gwadar has improved significantly compared to before.

He said that in August 2025, in the public interest, the provincial government transferred the responsibility of water supply from the Public Health Engineering Department back to GDA, which was a major challenge; however, GDA accepted it and took immediate as well as long-term measures.

According to the GDA Chief Engineer Haji Syed Muhammad, transmission system established from Shadi Kaur Dam to Saudd Dam and from Saudd Dam to Gwadar, water has been supplied to the city since 2019, and under this system, a total of 4,542 million gallons of water were supplied up to September 2025.

He stated that during the crisis, GDA ensured water supply on an emergency basis from various sources, which included 84 million gallons via tankers from Mirani Dam, 173 million gallons from Shadi Kaur Dam, and 78 million gallons from the GPA desalination plant, making a total of approximately 335 million gallons.

The Chief Engineer said that supplying water via tankers from Mirani Dam was a major administrative challenge because in the past, allegations of irregularities and corruption had surfaced regarding this system.

However, after continuous negotiations with tanker owners and the water committee, GDA not only persuaded them to supply water but also ensured supply at rates lower than the market price.

He stated that approximately Rs 700 million has been spent on this tanker operation so far, yet no report of corruption or irregularity emerged throughout the process.

The Chief Engineer further stated that GDA also undertook a major initiative to restore approximately 150 kilometers of pipeline from Shadi Kaur to Gwadar, which had been non-functional for the past three and a half years.

During the restoration of the line, issues such as lack of electricity, reliance on generators, repeated faults in the line, theft of equipment, weather impacts, and security challenges were faced.

He said that Director General GDA Moin-ur-Rehman Khan also visited the field from time to time to inspect the line and encourage the teams, which increased the pace of work.

According to the Chief Engineer, water supply from the Shadi Kaur line was initially started at 500,000 gallons per day, and today 1.8 to 1.9 million gallons per day are being supplied to Gwadar through this line.

He stated that through this line, Pasni, villages located along the route, and various government institutions are also benefiting, thereby making the total supply more than 2.5 million gallons per day.

He stated that during the crisis, with the cooperation of the Government of China, the 12 MGD Chinese water desalination plant was restored to ensure water supply to the Old Town, and in this regard, the team of the Gwadar Port Authority also played an important role.

The Chief Engineer said that despite the old, dilapidated, and problem-ridden infrastructure of the Public Health Engineering Department, GDA managed the crisis effectively.

He stated that after improvement in permanent sources, water supply via tankers from Mirani Dam has been completely stopped because this system was extremely expensive for the government, and now Gwadar is being supplied water through the Shadi Kaur pipeline and the GPA desalination plant.

He said that GDA has laid new pipelines across the city and modernized the water system, and so far more than 15,000 house connections have been shifted to the new system.

He stated that to organize water supply, a billing system is also being introduced, under which a fixed monthly fee of Rs 300 has been proposed for domestic consumers, while usage-based rates will be set for commercial consumers.

Finally, the Chief Engineer said that GDA has established a Water Section to improve the water system on a permanent basis and has started proper management by dividing the city into North and South zones.

He said that all these measures were made possible under the directives of Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti and the continuous supervision of the Director General GDA.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China