Sustainable Solutions Urgently Needed for Water and Power Crisis in Gwadar, Says Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti
Gwadar:Balochistan Chief Minister **Mir Sarfraz Bugti** has stressed the urgent need for **sustainable and practical solutions** to resolve Gwadar’s **persistent water shortage and power supply issues**. He made these remarks while addressing a **high-level meeting** via video link, focused on the water crisis in Gwadar.
The meeting was chaired by **Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal** in Gwadar and attended by **Federal Power Minister Sardar Owais Ahmad Leghari**, senior federal officials, and provincial authorities. CM Bugti joined from Quetta, accompanied by **Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan**, **Principal Secretary Babar Khan**, **Finance Secretary Imran Zarkoon**, **PHED Secretary Muhammad Hashim Ghalzai**, and provincial spokesperson **Shahid Rind**.
During his briefing, CM Bugti highlighted that the **core issue is not a lack of water**, but rather the **interrupted power supply**, which is hampering the **storage and distribution of water** from existing reservoirs.
He noted that there is **sufficient water storage capacity** in Gwadar’s dams to meet the city’s needs for the next **seven months**, but without **uninterrupted electricity**, that water **cannot be delivered to residents**. He also pointed out that the provincial government is making **daily payments to the GPA** for water supplied by the **desalination plant**, including **three months of advance payments**.
“This crisis is not due to scarcity of water, but due to **continued power outages**,” he stated. “Ensuring **uninterrupted power** is the only way to guarantee **uninterrupted water supply**.”
CM Bugti warned that if **no rainfall occurs over the next seven months**, the situation could worsen dramatically. He called for **immediate and coordinated action** between federal and provincial institutions to address these twin crises on a **long-term basis**.
He also announced his intention to **personally visit Gwadar** in the coming days to assess the situation on the ground and ensure that the measures being taken are effective and result-oriented.
