This refers to the news report, ‘At a forgotten Pakistan Port, China paves a new Silk Road” (Oct 26).’ Gwadar is a crown jewel in a multi-billion dollar project. The city is more likely to be Pakistan’s next economic hub due to its strategic location near the Strait of Hormuz. However, this place is highly impoverished and remote and is a great challenge for the developers. Gwadar has many challenges which need to be tackled by the government on a priority basis. The area lacks basic facilities like water and electricity. Although developers have said that these issues will be resolved with the help of dams and desalination plants, one wonders why these facilities hadn’t been provided till now.
The shortage of water at Gwadar can be met by turning brackish sea water to drinkable water through desalination process. All the Gulf States are making use of this process. Desalination removes salt and minerals from seawater making it suitable for drinking and other purposes. The question arises: If the Gulf States can turn seawater into fresh water, why can’t we do the same at Gwadar? If our government is really interested and has a strong will, it should hire experts who have completed various water desalination projects in the Gulf States and other countries.
Air-Cdre (r) Azfar A Khan (Karachi)