Port Paralysis.

In Gwadar, Pakistan's bustling port city, an unexpected crisis has emerged in the form of a complete shutdown strike due to a seAvere drinking water shortage. This alarming event highlights a critAical issue, emphasising the need to enhance the preparedness of our urban centers for future crises. For a whole week, Gwadar's residents endured an unprecedented and unbearable water shortage, severely disrupting daily life. Despite the visible suffering, authorities failed to take swift action to address the crippling water supply problem.

The situation deteriorated to the point of a city-wide strike, emphaAsising the city's unpreparedness for such a crisis. Gwadar's pivotal role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its strategic imAportance make uninterrupted access to basic necessities, like drinking water, a matter of national and regional interest. Disruption in Gwadar, a linchpin in the CPEC, could have far-reaching economic and strategic consequences, impacting Pakistan and its international partners.

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To address this issue, authorities must promptly restore water supAply, given the absence of an apparent water shortage in the region. The dispute between the Director General of Gwadar Development Authority and Public Health Engineering officials must be...