GWADAR: Authorities on Tuesday began dispatching water through tankers from Mirani Dam in Turbat to Gwadar and surrounding areas to alleviate a worsening shortage.

At a review meeting chaired by MPA Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, who is also the Jamaat-i-Islami Balochistan emir, officials said that currently the residents of Gwadar and other areas of the coastal district were getting water supply from the Shadi Kaur Dam. They said the older residential areas of Gwadar city were being supplied through the Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) desalination plant.

The meeting was attended by GPA Chairman Noorul Haq Baloch, Director General Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) Moinur Rehman Khan, GDA Chief Engineer Haji Syed Muhammad, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Abdul Shakoor Khan, Executive Engineer Public Health Engineering (PHE) Momin Ali, and Gwadar Municipal Committee Chairman Majid Johor.

Officials told the meeting that phased deliveries were underway across the city and more tankers would be added in the coming days to stabilise supply.

The participants were informed about tanker owners’ concerns over government-fixed tariffs.

The meeting agreed to recommend a “reasonable” increase to the provincial government to ensure uninterrupted deliveries. It was further decided that payments to tanker operators would be cleared every 15 days without delay or deductions.

It was decided that public water storage will be reserved exclusively for domestic use; government departments and commercial consumers must procure water from their own budgets. GDA and PHE teams, supported by local councillors, will oversee neighbourhood-level distribution to ensure fair access. The meeting also approved tanker water supply to Jiwani and adjacent localities as part of the emergency plan. ­

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2025