The Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) has started supplying water from Shadi Kor Dam to the city’s main transmission line, adding two million gallons per day (MGD) to the system after nearly three and a half years, officials said, according to a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Monday. The 83-kilometer-long pipeline was reactivated on the directive of Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, following day-and-night efforts by GDA’s water division under the supervision of Director General Moin-ur-Rehman Khan.

Chief Engineer Haji Syed Muhammad, Project Director Water Mir Jan Baloch and Site Engineer Kamran inspected the resumed flow. The move follows Bugti’s September 17 meeting in Gwadar, where it was decided to transfer the city’s entire water distribution network to GDA. Since then, GDA has accelerated installation of new household connections, urging residents to promptly submit applications. Gwadar has been facing an acute water crisis for more than a year and a half due to prolonged drought.

Ankara Dam dried up four months ago, while Sawad Dam is on the verge of depletion. “One of the main dams has completely dried up, while the other is close to running out,” said GDA Director General Moin-ur-Rehman Khan. To diversify supply, work is progressing on a 1.2 MGD desalination plant and a 0.5 MGD sensor boring project.

These efforts complement the China-assisted 1.2 MGD desalination facility at the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), a flagship initiative under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is being pushed toward full capacity. Gwadar’s daily requirement stands at 3.5 MGD.

According to Khan, another 1.5 MGD will soon be added to the system, further reducing the shortfall. The combined inflows from Shadi Kor Dam, desalination, and expanded household connections will help meet Gwadar’s 3.5 MGD daily demand, offering long-awaited relief to residents.

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