No rainfall: Drought creates water shortage in parts of Mohmand Agency

Low water table, dry dams force locals to buy water, resort to political associations

SHABQADAR: As the rest of the country revels in the much-awaited monsoon season, a long spell of drought has created an acute water shortage in various parts of Mohmand Agency.

Residents of Ghallanai have been compelled to purchase drinking water as lack of rainfall has caused the water table to go down and most dams have become dry.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sajid Ali, a resident of Ghallanai, said he has dug two tube wells but is still facing an acute shortage of drinking water in the hot summer.

He said the agency has not seen rain since the last three months. This has caused the water level, which usually rises in monsoon season, to go down.

“The water level in the area had risen after the construction of small dams in Ghallanai since floodwater would be stored in it,” Ali said. “However, dry spells, particularly in parts of Safi and Khawazai tehsils, have made this almost impossible.”

He added, “In the past, we allowed people to use water from the wells we had dug but we no longer give access to them owing to the water shortage.”

According to Ali, if drought persisted for a longer period of time, there was a possibility that locals might migrate from the area in search of water.

Further grievances

Sherullah, another local, told The Express Tribune while a drought had already made peoples’ lives miserable, prolonged load-shedding was making matters worse.

“The only sources of water in the region are electric pumps or wells that are between 150 to 250 metres deep,” he said.

Sherullah said without electricity, pumps did not function and the responsibility of fetching water fell on women from tribal areas.

He said it was extremely difficult for women who had to walk long distances to carry and bring water from the wells to their houses.

“Most of the wells are away from residential areas and bringing water is a difficult task,” Sherullah said.

Bakht Wali, another local, said people who did not have water pumps or dug wells were purchasing water from water tanks at Rs1,500 per 1,000 water gallon.

“Those who have influence in local political administration are using administration water tanks for this purpose,” Bakht Wali said.

He added the water level is so low that some wells cannot even fulfill water needs of a single family – something he had seen for the first time in his life.

Feeble attempts

FATA Development Authority (FDA) in Mohmand Agency is working on many small water dams, solar tube wells and even wind mills.

FDA Agency Coordinator Tariq Khan told The Express Tribune the authority had already constructed a small dam in Ghallanai while work on Gandao Dam had stopped due to an improvised explosive device (IED) blast and attack on dam site in 2013.

Tariq said FDA is optimistic cthat work will soon resume.

He added Pandyali Dam and other small dams were under construction and will be completed soon.

Tariq also said they were working on increasing the level of water table so as to provide water for irrigation purpose in the agency. However, long spells of drought had made the task almost impossible, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2016.