SKARDU, nestled in the heart of Gilgit-Baltistan, has rapidly transformed from a small town into a popular tourist destination because of its modern international airport. However, despite this progress, the city’s infrastructure has experienced little development, rendering it ill-equipped to meet the demands of an expanding population. For instance, chronic water shortage is one of Skardu’s old challenges. The government tasked Wapda with the modernisation of Sadpara Dam, the city’s sole water storage facility. The dam was built four centuries ago by Princess Gul Khatoon when her husband, Raja Ali Sher Khan Anchan of Skardu, was away in battle. Unfortunately, Wapda’s construction was carried out without securing a reliable water source, which exacerbated the city’s water crisis.
In parallel, extensive water channels were constructed by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme with funding from USAID. Designed to procure water from the renovated Sadpara Dam, these channels were to be replenished by the Shatung Nullah, a water source from a stream originating in the Deosai plateau. But due to a flawed bidding process, the construction of the diversion channel was abandoned, leading to severe water shortage and serious hardships for residents. Although Wapda attributed its cancellation to environmental concerns, specifically the protection of brown bears, there were allegations that the real motive was to shield the contractor from financial losses.
Wapda closed its eyes to the massive losses borne by the state as well as the difficulties faced by Skardu’s people. Even........