Tag Archives: Desalination

COAS lays foundation stone of UAE, Swiss govt-supported desalination plant in Gwadar

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa laid the foundation stone of a UAE and Swiss government-supported Gwadar desalination plant when he arrived in Balochistan on a two-day visit on Sunday, confirmed the army’s media wing.

The project fulfils a long-awaited demand of locals and shall provide them with 4.4 million gallons of water per day with the capacity to increase to 8.8 million gallons per day.

The desalination plant will be completed in six to eight months time and will help resolve the scarcity of drinking water in the area, apart from reducing the hardships of residents of the area, who currently have to fetch water from far-off areas.

“Balochistan’s progress is Pakistans’ progress and the Pakistan Army will extend full support apart from assisting in the socioeconomic development of Balochistan,” stated the COAS.

The COAS further said, “All measures in coordination with the civilian government would be taken to bring peace and prosperity in Balochistan,” as he highlighted the importance of ongoing projects as part of the Khushal Balochistan programme.

He went on to emphasise that these projects will transform the lives of people of Balochistan and that the potential of the province as a regional economic hub will only be realized when the people of Balochistan are best served by these projects.

Balochistan Chief Minister (CM) Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salim Al Zaabi, Commander Southern Command Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa, the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) DG, and a large number of locals were present on the occasion.

Later tonight, the COAS will attend the closing ceremony of the Makran Festival in connection with Baloch Culture Day.

Desalination plant opens at Gwadar port

QUETTA: Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo inaugurated a desalination plant on Monday installed at the Gwadar port by China Overseas Port Holding Company for supplying drinking water to the people in the port city.

The desalination plant has a production capacity of 254,000 gallons of clean drinking water.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Senator Bezenjo, who is also president of the National Party, said that the New Year will witness massive development in Gwadar under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said that the desalination plant would reduce the shortage of drinking water in the port city to some extent. He said that the people of Gwadar had been facing water shortage for the past many months and they would now get clean drinking water through tankers.

“The desalination plant is a true reflection of CPEC and friendship between Pakistan and China. It is a gift for the people of Gwadar,” Mir Hasil Khan Bezenjo said.

The desalination plant is the result of the visionary thinking of Chairman of the Gwadar Port Authority Mir Dostain Khan Jamaldani and the Chairman of China Overseas Port Holding Company.

He expressed the hope that the water crisis of Gwadar will be resolved this year and more such plants were in the pipeline.

He said that the water supply from the Gwadar port would be cheaper than the water provided from the Mirani Dam in Turbat.

The minister later inspected the plant, where Chinese officials briefed him about the plant’s capacity.

Earlier, he was received at the airport by officials of the port authority and local administration.