Battagram launches cleanliness drive

Alongside efforts to stop open defecation and improve sanitation, the Human Appeal NGO, in collaboration with UNICEF, has announced plans to work with local citizens to establish proper waste disposal systems in markets, shops, hotels, and offices.

Mohammad Irshad, the District Programme Manager of Human Appeal, shared this update with Deputy Commissioner of Battagram, Asif Ali Khan, during the sixth quarterly progress briefing.

Irshad stated that Human Appeal has been providing clean drinking water in villages, offering latrines to poor families to stop open defecation, and running awareness campaigns on sanitation in collaboration with local committees.

The briefing, held at the Deputy Commissioner's office, was attended by ADC, Assistant Commissioner, Health and Education Department officials (both male and female), local government representatives, TMA officials, and Social Welfare officers, as well as Human Appeal's Monitoring Officer Hidayatullah, village council secretaries, and community representatives.

The Deputy Commissioner expressed satisfaction with the performance of Human Appeal and mentioned that the government's oversight committee is thoroughly monitoring the work of NGOs. Local Wash Committee presidents, including Niaz Muhammad, Rahman Shah, Salar Khan, Bakhtiar Muhammad, and Khalid Khan, spoke exclusively to The Express Tribune and condemned false accusations made by some committee members. These members, they stated, failed to achieve personal gains and now make baseless claims against Human Appeal.