Pakistani federal cabinet approves China-funded 1.2 MGD ROD Plant at Gwadar
Gwadar Pro
Islamabad: Pakistani federal cabinet has approved 1.2 Million Gallon per Day (MGD) Reverse Osmosis Desalination (ROD) Plant at Gwadar with a Chinese Grant of more than Pakistani Rs 2 billion to resolve the water shortage in the hub of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the federal cabinet meeting which approved the 1.2 MGD ROD Plant at Gwadar.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry later told the journalists that the project will be completed with the help of China. “The project is aimed at providing fresh potable water for the people of the Gwadar city,” he maintained.
Originally, the federal government had approved the development scheme for desalination of water on the basis of 50:50 % cost sharing formula by the Center and Balochistan’s provincial government respectively. The federal government had also released its funding of Rs 138 million in 2006-2007 but the project could not be installed. Later the cost of this project was revised upwards to Rs 978 million which went up further as the plan is being implemented.
The population of Gwadar city has no reliable and sustainable access to drinking water for a very long time. Their main source of water is Ankara Dam which due to frequent droughts is unable even to meet the drinking water requirements of the city’s population.
The current water requirement of the Gwadar City is 4.2 MGD per day while supply from the government source is 2.0 MGD.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry contended that the water project will eliminate the shortage. “The people of Gwadar will have access to clean water now,” he added.
The cabinet also ratified decisions taken by Economic Coordination Committee in its meetings held on 31st December, 2021 and 5th January, 2022.
These decisions included Finalization of Business Plan by the National Highway Authority (NHA) by June 2022. (ii) Sambrial Kharian Motorway Project (SKMP). (iii) Allocation of Budget to the Newly Established Secretariat of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). (iv) Gas Rate for Operation of Fatima Fertilizer (Sheikpura Plant) and Agritech. (v) Provision of Life Saving Drugs worth Rs 500 million to Afghan People. (vi) Provision of Funds for Purchase of Equipment in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences-Federal Medical Teaching Institutes, 2021 and (viii) Release of Rs. 100 Billion to manage liquidity requirements of Power Sector.
In view of exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, the Cabinet appealed to the general Public for insuring use of face masks, maintaining social distancing and completion of vaccination.
