by Yasir Habib Khan 

 

 

GWADAR, Mar. 17 (Gwadar Pro) - In pursuance of constructing a 1.2 MGD (million gallon per day) Water Desalination Plant, comprehensive soil testing   kicked off in the premises of Gwadar Port Free Zone area. The Water Desalination Plant, being built with Chinese grant, aims to ensure uninterrupted supply of potable water to poor residents of Gwadar.

 

“Soil Testing  encompassing a dredging process on three points will be completed within a few days. As for the first point of dredging which had to be drilled approximately 33 feet, the results remained robust and positive,” Geologist Sajjad Ali, supervising Soil Testing on site of the under-construction Water Desalination Plant, told Gwadar Pro.  

 

“The boring at Point 2 will also be completed in two and three days and after that the next phase involving pilling  and foundation  will commence accordingly,” he added.  

 

Dawood Baloch, GPA Project Director of the 1.2 MGD Water Desalination Plant said that the plant, spreading over approximately one acre, is being constructed with Chinese grant of Rs. 2 billion. It is another gift from China to Gwadar, he added.  

 

“As per PC 1, the plant is supposed to complete in 12 months but hopefully China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) will finish the task in 6 months. If it happens, it’ll be another project after Pak-China Technical & Vocational Institute that is completed ahead of the deadline,” he added.  

 

The 1.2 MGD Water Desalination Plant project, he said, will be enough to meet water demand of the Gwadar city and Gwadar port.  

 

He said initially a 0.5 MGD Water Desalination Plant project was inked with conduction of feasibility and survey by government of Pakistan and China. Later fathoming realistic rising water demand, PC 1 was finalized for the construction of a 1.2 MGD Water Desalination Plant. On 5 July 2021, the government approved the 1.2 MGD Water Desalination Plant for Gwadar. 

 

Recently in order to execute the project, he said, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) and Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) entered into a formal agreement for the establishment of the plant. 

 

GPA chairman Naseer Ahmed Kashani said that GPA always prioritizes potable water supply projects as it knew that Gwadar is well-deserved to have clean drinking water. Gwadar’s population is increasing and in order to meet burgeoning demand for water, the 1.2 MGD Water Desalination Plant will make a difference.

 

This article originally appeared on Gwadar Pro.