June 24, 2022: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed that the ongoing development projects of water, electricity, and infrastructure in Gwadar should be completed in the stipulated time.
He was presiding over a high-level meeting to review the progress of development projects in Gwadar.
He warned that no further interruption in the projects of water and electricity would be tolerated.
The 1.2 million gallons of the desalination plant in Gwadar should be completed, he ordered.
He said the network of pipelines for the provision of water in houses should be immediately improved and an inquiry should be held for identifying those who were negligent and were delaying the projects.
The PM said a report should be presented in the next three weeks regarding the solar projects of 62 megawatts.
He said the production of solar panels should be ensured in Pakistan for the solar projects and for giving solar panels to the local population.
He instructed that besides supplying a base load of electricity to Gwadar, a plan should be presented for additional demand and supply of electricity in the coming years.
He said the completion of Gwadar international airport should be ensured till July 2023 and international flights at the airports of Gwadar and Quetta should be restored and fares should be reduced.
For the off-grid electricity projects across Balochistan, a comprehensive strategy should be formulated and steps should be taken to improve the facilities of internet, he
added.
Shehbaz said dredging should be begun at the Gwadar port and practical steps should be started for the breakwater.
He further directed that the construction of Gwadar hospital should be completed in September instead of December. All 16523 poor families of Gwadar should be included in Benazir Income Support Programme.
He said a detailed report about the progress of development projects should be presented after a week.
The PM was informed about the progress on the desalination plant and was given a detailed briefing on the demand and supply of water and the present situation of dams.
The present per day water demand of Gwadar was 3.4 million gallons and the capacity to supply to the city was nine million gallons.
He said Gwadar Port Authority would get a 1.2 million gallon per day water plant which
would increase its capacity to supply to 1.5 million gallons per day. Besides that nine mobile plants would be installed which would help in providing an uninterrupted water supply.
The meeting was told that after the supply of 100 megawatts of electricity from Iran, the total supply of electricity to Gwadar would reach 170 megawatts whereas at present the demand for power was 70 megawatts.
The provision of solar panels and off-grid projects at the local level would ensure uninterrupted supply to the local population.
The transmission line from Iran to Makran would be completed in six months while the transmission line for adding 100 megawatts to the national grid would be completed by December 2022.
The prime minister was also given a detailed briefing about the construction work at the new Gwadar International Airport.
The federal ministers, ministers of state, special assistants, Chief Minister Balochistan, and relevant officials attended the meeting.
APP
