Five water pumps in Ambela Darra village to ease local problems

Around 5,000 people in Buner will get access to drinking water.

BUNER:

Many of the 5,000 people living in the remote Ambela Darra village in Buner thought they will never have drinking water closeby.

The responsibility for fetching water fell to women and children, who had to bring water twice a day.

“We had to bring water from the spring in mountains regardless of the weather. My fingers would go numb during winter,” said Shamim, 12.

But the miseries of the villagers will be reduced with the completion of five water pumps completed by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) with funds from AusAID.

“We have no words to express our gratitude to both humanitarian agencies for extending their generous support,” said Yousaf, a local. He added that the government had shown no interest in providing potable water to the village despite repeated efforts.

An overjoyed Zarina Bibi, standing before a newly-installed water pump situated close to her home, said, “I never thought the unending struggle of carrying water from far off springs would ever end.”

The pumps were inaugurated Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Education Sardar Hussain Babak who thanked AusAID and SRSP for supporting the government in rural areas, while assuring further cooperation.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2012.