ISLAMABAD: The Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) has resumed supplying water from Shadi Kaur Dam to the city’s main transmission system, contributing an additional two million gallons per day (MGD) after nearly three and a half years, officials confirmed on Monday.
The 83-kilometer pipeline was reactivated following directives from Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti. The project involved continuous 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 carried out an inspection of the restored water flow.
This development comes after a September 17 meeting in Gwadar, where the chief minister approved transferring the city’s entire water distribution network to GDA. Since then, the authority has accelerated the installation of new household connections, urging residents to submit their applications without delay.
Gwadar has been grappling with a severe water shortage for over a year and a half due to extended drought conditions. Ankara Dam dried up four months ago, while Sawad Dam is approaching depletion. “One of the main dams has completely dried up, while the other is close to running out,” stated Moin-ur-Rehman Khan.
To further diversify water supply, work is underway on a 1.2 MGD desalination plant and a 0.5 MGD sensor boring project. These initiatives complement the China-assisted 1.2 MGD desalination facility at the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA), a key component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is being pushed toward full operational capacity.
Gwadar’s daily water requirement is 3.5 MGD. Khan confirmed that an additional 1.5 MGD will soon be integrated into the system, significantly reducing the shortfall.
The combined output from Shadi Kaur Dam, the desalination plants, and expanded household connections is expected to meet the city’s full daily demand, providing much-needed relief to residents.
