When the Sun Gave Water to Gwadar — A Forgotten Story
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☀️ When the Sun Gave Water to Gwadar — A Forgotten Story
The coastal city of Gwadar, now known for its port and development under CPEC, once had a remarkable system that combined science, nature, and local innovation.
Yes — there was a time when the people of Gwadar used sunlight to purify seawater and turn it into drinking water.
💧 The Solar Water Plant — A Natural Solution to Water Shortage
In the old Mala Band area (where the current Gwadar Hotel stands),
the Department of Fisheries, Balochistan, operated a solar-powered desalination plant —
a reliable and sustainable answer to the city’s growing water scarcity.
The system worked in a simple but brilliant way:
Seawater was pumped into small glass-covered ponds.
As sunlight heated the water, it evaporated and condensed on the glass surface,
turning into clean water that was collected in storage tanks.
This process provided the local community with pure drinking water, powered only by the sun.
🧂 Water and Salt — Two Gifts from One Source
The plant not only produced drinking water but also created natural, high-quality salt.
This salt was used both in daily cooking and in the fish-drying industry,
which played a vital role in the livelihoods of Gwadar’s coastal residents.
In this way, one system provided clean water, food, and employment — all at once.
🌅 A Lesson for Today
The plant remained functional until the 1980s,
and though it no longer exists, its message is still powerful:
If we combine natural energy, local knowledge, and modern science,
we can once again make Gwadar and the coastal belt of Balochistan self-sufficient in clean water.
The sun, the sea, and human intelligence — together, they hold the key to sustainable progress.
✍️ Written by: Aeen Qadir
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