Gwadar desalination plant closure invites senators’ ire

Rs1 billion scheme provided drinking water for only 20 days before being shut down

ISLAMABAD: A Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development on Tuesday recommended inquiry against officers involved in flawed designing and ill planning of a desalination plant in Gwadar.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the committee with its convener Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani in the chair. Senators Usman Kakar, Mohsin Leghari and representatives from the concerned departments were in attendance.



Briefing the committee, officials of Balochistan Public Health Engineering said that the plant for which funds amounting to Rs1 billion had been disbursed, was currently not functional.

They informed that the federal government had handed over the project to the provincial government in 2016 for provision of clean drinking water to residents of the city, but it was shut down after functioning for only 20 days.

The committee was assured that the plant would be made functional soon; however, an amount of Rs80 million would be required for revival of the project.



It was informed that currently water was supplied in the city through tankers for which the provincial government was paying a huge amount.

The committee members recommended handing over the plant to China as according to their observation, the provincial government was not able to run such projects.

Senator Kakar suggested issuing notice to Balochistan chief secretary in this regard and also demanded for taking strict action against the concerned officers.