Industries in Hub are facing a serious water shortage even though the Hub Dam is nearly full. The Hub Chamber of Commerce & Industry (HCCI) has warned that if the shortage continues, factories could be forced to close, putting thousands of jobs at risk.
Former HCCI President Ismail Suttar and President Yakoob H. Karim have appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate action, warning that the situation could lead to an industrial, agricultural and humanitarian crisis in the area.
The chamber leaders said industries and the growing population of Hub are not receiving enough water to meet their needs. They warned that several industrial units could stop operations within weeks if the shortage continues.
“Hub is the industrial backbone of Balochistan. If industries are deprived of water, production will come to a halt, workers will lose their livelihoods and the country will suffer significant economic losses,” they said.
According to the chamber, Hub contributes more than Rs7 billion in taxes to the national exchequer every year. The business leaders warned that a prolonged water shortage could reduce government revenue and negatively affect exports, investment and industrial growth.
The HCCI said Hub depends mainly on the Hub Dam for its water supply, while Karachi receives water from several sources. It claimed that under the current water-sharing formula, Hub receives 36.7% of the water, while Karachi gets 62.3%.
The chamber leaders said the formula was introduced in the 1980s, when Hub had a population of around 20,000, only five industrial units and about 1,000 acres of cultivated land. They said the situation has changed significantly, with Hub now having a population of more than 1 million, around 300 industrial units and more than 25,000 acres of cultivated land.
They said the water-sharing formula has not been updated despite major growth in Hub’s population, agricultural activity and industrial sector.
Suttar and Karim also said the Hub Dam is almost at full capacity. They warned that continued monsoon rains could force authorities to open the dam’s spillway gates again, potentially causing flooding in nearby villages.
They said it was concerning that excess water could be released from the dam while residents, farmers and industries in Hub continue to struggle to receive their share of water.
The chamber said industries have been receiving much less water than they need for the past two months. As a result, several factories are operating below capacity, while others have reduced production.
Suttar said the chamber had repeatedly approached the relevant authorities, but officials reportedly said the newly appointed project director was still undergoing training.
He added that hundreds of thousands of residents were also facing serious shortages of drinking water. He said many people in Hub live below the poverty line and cannot afford the high cost of private water tankers.
The chamber leaders urged the federal government to instruct the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to immediately provide additional water to Hub based on its population, agricultural needs and industrial demand.
They also called for the decades-old water-sharing formula to be reviewed and replaced with a sustainable system that reflects Hub’s current population and economic needs.
The HCCI warned that if immediate action is not taken, Hub could face factory closures, widespread unemployment, reduced agricultural activity and a serious humanitarian crisis caused by the water shortage.
