Gwadar sans water

It has been more than a decade since Gwadar is facing the worst water crisis. The incumbent government has failed to deal with the crisis. When CPEC was launched, it was wrongly expected that the water crisis will come to an end. Residents collect water from the Ankara Kaur Dam. Because of the prolonged drought, the dam – which is the sole source for drinking water for residents of Gwadar and other nearby areas – has almost dried up.

In 2008, the then provincial government decided to install four desalination plants in the region for making sea water drinkable. It was a beacon of hope for the people and they thought that this will solve the water shortage problem of the district on a permanent basis. In 2014, the work on the project started, but it immediately came to a halt. The authorities said that because of unavailability of engineers, work on the plants couldn’t be carried forward. The concerned authorities must pay attention to the issue and should take quick steps for the prosperity of Gwadar and provide relief to residents.

Jahanzaib Mengal (Panjgur)