ECNEC Meeting Reviews Progress of Manghi Dam for Quetta’s Water Supply
Quetta:A significant meeting of the **Economic Coordination Committee (ECNEC)** was held under the chairmanship of **Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar**. The meeting was attended via video link by **ECNEC member from Balochistan, Senior Provincial Minister, PPP Central Committee member, Parliamentary Leader, and Provincial Minister for Irrigation, Mir Mohammad Sadiq Umrani**.
The agenda of the meeting focused on the progress of the **Manghi Dam** project, which aims to address Quetta city’s water supply issues. The discussion centered on the **speed of work**, **physical progress**, and **financial advancements** related to the dam’s construction.
In his address, **Mir Mohammad Sadiq Umrani** emphasized that **Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Bugti**, has strongly urged the timely completion of the Manghi Dam to ensure an uninterrupted water supply for Quetta. He noted that it is the Chief Minister’s priority to complete the dam’s construction promptly so that the people of Quetta do not face water scarcity.
Mir Umrani explained that **in March 2016**, an allocation of **9.334 billion rupees** was approved for the dam’s construction. It was decided that **50%** of the funding would come from the federal government, while the remaining **50%** would be provided by the provincial government of Balochistan. However, during a **revised meeting in July 2022**, the committee increased the fund to **13.247 billion rupees**, with the **Public Health Engineering Department** submitting a further revision amounting to **18.994 billion rupees**.
As of now, the **physical progress** of the Manghi Dam stands at **80%**, while the **financial progress** is reported to be **79%**. The dam has a **water storage capacity of 29,530 acre-feet**, with **seven tanks** for water storage, and a height of **61 meters**. Once completed, it will supply **8.1 million gallons of water daily** to Quetta city.
This project, crucial for Quetta’s water needs, is expected to significantly improve the water supply and mitigate the chronic water shortage facing the city.
