Kohistan waits anxiously for rain as tube wells dry up

Around 100 families rely on one well as residents are too poor to build more.


Creative Essa Malik/sameer Mandhro September 02, 2014

THANO BULA KHAN:


The people of Kohistan have no water and with no rain in sight, there seems to be no respite for them from these drought-like conditions.


Rain is the only source of water in Kohistan; three years ago they had ample of it, but showers are now few and far between. “We don’t have enough water anymore,” said Thano Bula Khan resident Shaikh Abdullah. “There are around 1,000 tube wells across the taluka; the only source of water in the region. In some areas, the situation is even worse than what you see here.”

Due to the lack of rain, dams are not a viable solution to the problem, added Shaikh.

“The whole village is entirely dependent on this well,” said Pandi Khan village elder, Rasool Bux, pointing to a shabby well that was reconstructed five years ago after having initially been dug up during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s time. “If it dries up, then around 100 families and all their animals are in a lot of trouble. We have no money to dig another one, so all our hopes are pinned on it.”

Lack of water is the biggest problem faced by the residents of Kohistan, as it has started to affect livestock and agriculture; the only two sources of income and food in the region.

“When there is no rain, there is no food,” said Rek Joi village resident Boro Aklani. “Some water gathers in low-lying regions and we use water from those temporary ponds for a few months before they dry up again.”

The Rek Joi tube well uses around 800 litres of fuel every month and the cost is divided among all the families, revealed Boro. “Those of us who cannot afford to pay the fuel money aren’t charged,” he added.

In some villages - the more fortunate ones - donkeys are used to fetch the water, in others the residents have to do it themselves. Due to the sheer number of families that rely on one tube well, women and their children often have to travel considerable distances on foot to bring back the water.

“I go daily with my mother and my grandmother to fetch water,” said 12-year-old Mashooqa. “Going there is not a problem but carrying the water back for miles can be painful.” Some development work was done in the region before the local government system was abolished. “During that time, people were given jobs, and there were a number of development projects that improved our lives, such as tube wells and construction of new roads.” However, that is no longer the case.



The residents believe that the issue of water can be resolved with the construction of a few more wells. However, the money sanctioned by the local government administration never made it into the hands of the villagers. “Rs175,000 were sanctioned by the local government administration for the well, but I was only given Rs50,000 in the end to reconstruct it,” claimed Rasool Bux.

“The government seems to have little interest in helping us, so maybe some non-governmental organisation or a private philanthropist will hear of our plight and help us,” hoped Inayat. “We read stories in newspapers of Bollywood actors helping the underprivileged in India, but that doesn’t happen in Pakistan.”

Kohistan

The hilly region of Kohistan lies mainly in the Thano Bula Khan taluka of Jamshoro. The taluka has five union councils; Thano Bula Khan, Thano Arif Khan, Sarri, Tong and Mole, with the latter two being hit the worst by the lack of water. While there is no way to determine the current population of the taluka, the 1998 census put the figure at 134,000.

However, parts of Kohistan also lie in Lasbela, Balochistan; Malir and Gaddap, Karachi; Ghagar Phattak, Dabeji, Jhampir, Jungshahi and Dadu. Drought has hit the entire region and it is in dire need of heavy showers or the situation may require drastic action. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3rd, 2014.

COMMENTS (1)

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply

With a fraction of the sum spent on the Bilawal Sindh Festival last year.......a water course could have been laid for these destitute people........is this the democracy that is being defended. Shame on the media for not bringing this serious lapse to the attention of all.

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