Siksa village to get water for agriculture, drinking

Aid programme to help locals adapt to climate change .

GILGIT:

The people of Siksa village in Baltistan will get potable water and sanitation services under the United Nations Development Programme’s New World programme. This was stated in a press release issued on Tuesday.

“We are sure the facility will help locals improve their health,” Muhammad Ibrahim, a resident of Khaplu in Ghanche district of Baltistan, told The Express Tribune, while commenting on the facility which will include the construction of a pipe irrigation system and waterbeds.



Bare necessities

Siksa village is located in Khalpu, Ghanche and is over 300 kilometres away from Gilgit, the capital of G-B.

The villagers of Siksa — whose livelihood solely depends on agriculture and tourism — are at risk because of the remote location of their area and harsh weather conditions.

The press release mentioned the New World programme focuses on community water management and aims to help locals adapt to climate change. New World aims to irrigate 355 hectares of land, install 17 water points for sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation services for 4,000 people.

Moreover, the project would also empower 1,400 women and 500 young people with opportunities to earn a livelihood in the due course of the project.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shah Farman, a resident of Gilgit, asked UNDP to extend the programme to other areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, including Diamer, which is a less developed district of the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2016.