Projects supported by China catalyze transformation in Pakistan's Gwadar

Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows a view of the Gwadar port in Balochistan province of Pakistan. (Xinhua/Tang Binhui)

The old fishing town of Gwadar in Pakistan's southwestern province Balochistan is being transformed into a modern port city with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.

by Misbah Saba Malik, Tang Binhui, Wang Huan

GWADAR, Pakistan, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Arifa Haleem, a resident of Pakistan's southwest Gwadar district, has witnessed a prolonged struggle in her community with the scarcity of clean drinking water since her childhood until a desalination plant, a generous gift from China, brought about a transformative change in her life.

The coastal district of Gwadar faces an ongoing challenge due to the salinity of its water source, which poses difficulties for the local population. However, the plant under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has solved the longstanding issue.

Launched in 2013, CPEC, the flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a corridor linking Gwadar port with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, highlighting energy, transport, and industrial cooperation.

Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows a staff worker collecting desalinated water at the China-donated seawater desalination plant in Gwadar, Pakistan. (Xinhua/Tang Binhui)

It had been a long desire of local residents to drink clean water. The Chinese brought happiness to the lives of the Pakistani people who will not only benefit from the plant but also deem it as the sweetest gesture from Chinese friends, Haleem told Xinhua.

The plant is set to provide 5,000 tons of potable water daily to the residents of Gwadar, alleviating the water shortage.

Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2023 shows equipment at the China-donated seawater desalination plant in Gwadar, Pakistan. (Xinhua/Tang Binhui)

Ghazanfar Ali, the health and safety engineer at the project, said that the lack of clean water in Gwadar has adversely affected both daily life and agriculture.

"The inherently fertile land of Gwadar has been underutilized due to water scarcity, limiting employment opportunities. With the advent of the seawater desalination plant, residents here can now harness the fertility of the land, cultivating small areas around their homes to grow a variety of crops," he added.

"The seawater desalination plant is designed in a modern way to get the most out of it by consuming very little energy," he said, adding that because of the use of energy-saving devices, natural process has been given more importance.

The old fishing town of Gwadar was now being transformed into a modern port city under CPEC, which not only brought investment and business to Pakistan, but also improved the lives of the Gwadar people through various donations.

File photo shows a view of the Pak-China Friendship Hospital in Gwadar, Pakistan. (Gansu Construction Investment(Holdings) Group Co., Ltd./Handout via Xinhua)

Apart from the plant, China has also helped the people of Gwadar by upgrading an existing 50-bed hospital into a 150-bed medical facility.

The Chinese government and people have provided medical equipment, including emergency departments, outpatient departments, inpatient departments, medical technological departments, and administration and support systems for the hospital.

Talking to Xinhua, Muhammad Zubair, a Pakistani engineer at the "China-Pakistan Friendship Hospital" project, said it has provided Gwadar residents with comprehensive medical services and one-stop medical solutions, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of complicated diseases.

"Previously Gwadar people had to travel hundreds of miles to get good medical facilities in big cities of the province, but after the inauguration of the friendship hospital, many facilities have been made available in Gwadar, which will save many lives and bring comfort to the lives of the residents," he said.

Aerial photo taken on June 3, 2022 shows a section of the China-aided Eastbay Expressway of Gwadar port in Gwadar of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province. (Xinhua/Jiang Chao)

In the arid landscapes of Gwadar, the plant and the hospital have not only quenched the long-standing thirst for clean water and improved medical infrastructure, but also revitalized the community's agricultural prospects, showcasing the fruits of bilateral cooperation under CPEC in addressing basic needs and uplifting socio-economic development of the region.