Ayesha Saba

The government has stepped in to take immediate measures for the dredging of Gwadar Port in order to restore its operational depth. The project is expected to be completed by June 2023, reports WealthPK. Talking to WealthPK, the Gwadar Port Authority’s official spokesperson said China’s financial and technical support has enabled Pakistan to develop the Gwadar deep-sea port – a decades-long dream of the country’s political elite.

Gwadar is now considered the lynchpin of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, and China is pumping huge resources into the local infrastructure and development. “Construction of Gwadar Port is an important component of Pakistan’s overall initiative to facilitate trade and is visualized as becoming a regional hub, serving commercial traffic with the landlocked states of Central Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Iran, and South East Asia,” he said.

He further explained that dredging removes sediment and other materials from the bottom of a body of water. Ports must dredge due to the natural build-up of sand and silt that flow downstream due to strong current in the rivers and streams, he added. “Dredging also allows port expansion so that the growing shipping may be accommodated. There is no denying the fact that Gwadar Port has the potential to draw in investors, generate employment opportunities, open up new doors for economic growth in the coastal region and significantly boost the national economic output,” he said.

According to Mr. Nadeem, Project Director of Gwadar Port Authority, the de-silting procedure and planning have gained traction, as two bidding processes – technical proposals and financial proposals – are planned to be concluded within two weeks.” “After the procedural formality culminates, the successful firm will be awarded the contract for dredging to reclaim the lost depth of all berths at the port.”

The incumbent government is committed to bringing Balochistan on a par with other parts of the country. An amount of Rs11.39 billion has been allocated for 23 development projects in Gwadar in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2022-23. Rs1 billion has been allocated for maintenance and dredging of Gwadar Port and Rs684 million for the two desalination plants combined. Additionally, Rs800 million has been allocated for rehabilitation of the old town of Gwadar, Moreover, Rs500 million has been allocated for provision of 2,000 engines to the poor fishermen. The biggest budgetary allocation is Rs2 billion for the New Gwadar International Airport.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk