• Water supply to twin cities from Indus opposed (Dawn, July 02, 2007)
• Citizens join hands to resist twin cities? access to GBWSP (The Nation, July 02, 2007)
• Construction of Basha dam likely to be delayed (The Post, March 24, 2007)
• Hard work, not slogans, will bring water to all (Dawn, March 21, 2007)
• No Basha funding till concerns addressed: WB (The Post, March 20, 2007)
• Pakistan's Water Risk (Dawn, February 16, 2007)
• Selling the crafts for a cause
  
  
• ARCHIVED PRESS CLIPPINGS

ISLAMABAD: July 1: People representatives, civil society activists, students and citizens of Ghazi Tehsil have threatened to resist a Ghazi-Barotha project that will supply project to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. A committee, headed by a local town nazim, has also been formed to organise the movement with an aim to ensure adequate drinking water supply to the residents of Ghazi Tehsil. They were gathered at a consultation meeting organised by the Sungi Development Foundation at Ghazi Tehsil of Haripur the other day. The government has chalked out an integrated water supply scheme of GBWSP for twin cities with uniform basis of consumption of 60 gallons per capita per day of water. According to a news release issued here Sunday after a meeting organized by Sungi Development Foundation, the participants opposed the Rs 45 billion Ghazi Barotha Water Supply Project (GBWSP). The government has directed Wapda and the CDA to come up with a comprehensive report to determine the suitable sites for off-take of drinking water for twin cities from Tarbela Dam reservoir or Ghazi Pond. The speakers were of the view that majority population of Ghazi Tehsil of district Haripur were suffering from severe drinking water scarcity, despite the fact that the town was situated nearby country's largest reservoir-Tarbela Dam and Ghazi Barotha Water Channel. On the other hand, they said the government had devised a plan to supply bulk water to twin cities by taking the urban centered development approach. The meeting was attended by Tariq Iqbal, UC Nazim KhairBara, Habib Khan, UC Nazim Kazipur, tehsil councillors Javed Gill, Nazkat Khan and others, zonal incharge Sungi, Nadir Shah and Shaur Iqbal, representatives of Hashar organisation, Aurat Foundation and of concern village committees. The speakers pointed out that a filtration plant under Clean Drinking Water Initiative (CDWI) was installed last year but it never became operational. The speakers observed that the government had failed to achieve its targets across the country through CDWI project and now the plan had been extended by installing filtration plants at UC level under Clean Drinking Water for All (CDWA) project. "The CDWA project might face the same fate like CDWI because the project has been conceptualised in Islamabad without taking into account the ground realities of the area," they said. They regretted that were never consulted before initiating the project and plants are being installed with the choice of local political influential ignoring the need of a particular area. Planners believe that Rs 45 billion GBWSP was the only remedy not only to overcome the current water scarcity, but to cater the water needs of the two cities for next 50 years. The current requirement of the two cities is 230 million gallons per day.

ISLAMABAD: Local government elected representatives, civil society activists, students and citizens including women of Ghazi Tehsil have joined hands to resist water supply project to twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi through Ghazi Barotha Water Supply Project (GBWSP). A committee, headed by a local town nazim, has also been formed to organise the movement with an aim to ensure equitable and indiscriminative drinking water supply to the residents of Ghazi Tehsil. The decision was taken during a consultation meeting organised by the Sungi Development Foundation at Ghazi Tehsil of Haripur. The government has chalked out an integrated water supply scheme of GBWSP for twin cities with uniform basis of consumption of 60 gallons per capita per day of water. The government has also directed Wapda and the CDA to come up with a comprehensive report to determine the suitable sites for off-take of drinking water for twin cities from Tarbela Dam reservoir or Ghazi Pond. According to a news release issued by Sungi, speakers were of the view that majority population of Ghazi Tehsil of district Haripur were suffering from severe drinking water scarcity, despite the fact that the town was situated nearby country's largest reservoir-Tarbela Dam
and Ghazi Barotha Water Channel. On the other hand, they said the government had devised a plan to supply bulk water to twin cities by taking the urban centered development approach. The meeting was attended by Tariq Iqbal, UC Nazim KhairBara, Habib Khan, UC Nazim Kazipur, tehsil councillors Javed Gill, Nazkat Khan and others, zonal incharge Sungi, Nadir Shah and Shaur Iqbal, representatives of Hashar organisation, Aurat Foundation and of concern village committees. Speaking on the occasion, speakers pointed out that a filtration plant under Clean Drinking Water Initiative (CDWI) was installed last year but it never became operational since than.

Mohsin Babbar

ISLAMABAD: Contrary to the government's efforts to expedite process to start construction on non-controversial large water reservoirs on River Indus, the construction of Diameer-Basha Dam project (DBDP) might get delayed for two more years.

According to official sources, the work on DBDP might not start from 2008, even after the completion of detailed engineering design.

Basha-Diameer Dam is located on the Indus River, about 200 miles upstream of Tarbela Dam and just downstream of Chilas Town. Its catchments are beyond the range of monsoons.

The average annual flow of Indus at the point is 50 Million Acre Feet (MAF), which is entirely water from melting snow.

A recently-prepared government report has already revealed that the site of largest mega water reservoir project of Basha-Diameer dam in northern Pakistan has been hit by 863 major earthquake tremors.

"As the site of the Basha-Diameer dam in the Northern areas and frontier province is placed in the high seismic zone, the government is considering conducting extensive seismic survey by involving international experts," a senior official told The Post.

"Supervised by Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the study might take two years up to 2009-10. Resultantly, the construction of the dam might start afterwards," official added.

Although the government is of the view that the completion period of DBDP has not been extended and it is progressing according to schedule, but officials said the recent visit of high-level World Bank delegation also acquired seismic details of the project.

The WB delegation also emphasized upon the government to undertake seismic study on the basis of international standards so that the structure could be ensured maximum protection from possible earthquake tremors.

The delegation was told that the site of DBDP is located at the collision boundary of the Asian tectonic plates.

At present a micro network is being established by WAPDA to monitor the seismic activity specifically near the dam site apart from four monitors, which are already working to record earthquake in the area.

Initially, the feasibility consultants formulated a database, containing 863 instrumentally-recorded earthquakes of magnitude four or more in a radius of 200 kilometres of the project area during the period 1927 to 2001.

Later on the design consultants of the project have extended it up to 2006 and are in process of establishing seismic parameters for safe design of the project.

According to the official, before the start of construction of Basha reservoir, at least six to eight years are needed to complete all kinds of extensive studies, research, a comprehensive investigation on its high seismic risk location and resettlement of the inhabitants of the area.

After the completion of this process, another six years would be needed to complete the entire project, that too if the things moved smoothly and in line with the originally conceived plan.

It is expected to take at least 10 to 12 years (from 2009-10 to 2019-20) in construction, the proposed DBDP is 281 meters high and 990 metres long having a gross storage capacity of 9.04 MAF and live capacity of 7.30 MAF.

The project can generate up to 4500 megawatts of electricity.

Its construction would lead to the resettlement of 24,350 people residing in 32 villages in the proposed location of the project. The reservoir would also submerge 110 kilometres of the Karakorum Highway.

ISLAMABAD, March 20: A civic rights body claims that the government's "drinking water for all" policy was nothing more than a political slogan. In a statement issued on the eve of the World Water Day, being observed on Wednesday, the Sungi Development Foundation said the government had failed
to implement even its pilot project, initiated in 2004-05, to install water
filtration plants in 509 tehsils, what to say of its more ambitious promise
that 6,035 union councils will have such plants by the end of 2007.
Instead of emphasising on "makeshift arrangements", the government should
initiate "concrete and sustainable steps and policies" to achieve the
objectives, said the rights-based civil society organization.
Sungi termed the Clean Drinking Water for All (CDWA) programme "an ad hoc
arrangement", pointing out that of the 327 filtration plants installed under
the pilot project so far, only 251 were actually functioning.
With their capacity of filtering up to 2,000 gallons of water per hour, the
plants could not cover more than 20 per cent of the population of the
country. That negates the government's promise it would provide clean water
to all.
Sungi noted that the drinking water programme PC-1 had been revised four
times, taking the cost from Rs8.5 billion to Rs15 billion.
"Without addressing problems like the slow pace of work, allowing political
interference in the programme while ignoring the local community in its
implementation, providing drinking water to all would remain an uphill
task," it added.
It said revising the programme with the help of community and civil society
and its management and monitoring by the local and provincial governments
together was the only solution to finish the programme by 2010, the target
year.
"Transparency and accountability of the project, meeting quality standards
set by international organizations, awareness campaign and public notices at
the plant regarding performance and maintenance is also required in order to
make the programme sustainable," it said.
Sungi stressed that in dealing with the limited water resources, it was
essential to address equity and rights, cultural and ethical issues.
It noted that the government intended to expand the scope of the safe
drinking water programme to 28,000 villages having 1,000 or more
inhabitants.

Mohsin Babbar

ISLAMABAD: A high-level World Bank delegation has made it clear to the government that funding will not be made available for the proposed Diamer-Basha Dam till concerns over the possible environmental and social impacts of the project are addressed fully.

The World Bank team, led by Chief Water Specialist for South Asia David Grey, was on a week-long visit to Pakistan from March 11-18 at the government's request. Its terms of reference included preliminary review of the proposed Diamer-Basha Dam as well as of a multi-purpose hydropower generation project that would help restore storage capacity of existing water reservoirs.

World Bank sources told The Post that the delegation discussed in detail the state of water releases to stop sea intrusion. "They inquired specifically about the water being released downstream Kotri into the sea to balance the Indus Delta's ecology," they said.

"Referring to a recent study conducted by the Ministry of Water and Power under the supervision of a committee headed by ANG Abbasi, the World Bank team wanted to know whether the government had implemented its recommendation to release 8.6 million acre feet (maf) of water to stop sea intrusion," the sources informed.

The visiting delegation also inquired how much water would be released to the sea after the construction of Diamer-Basha Dam. The government officials, sources added, assured the World Bank team that they were fully aware of the possible environment and social impacts of the proposed mega water project, and detailed studies would be conduced to address them.

According to a World Bank press release, the visiting experts reviewed the hydrological, financial, environmental and social aspects of the Indus basin infrastructure. "They discussed the challenge of strengthening engagement with civil society and, in dialogue with both federal and provincial government officials, focussed on the need for system-wide reforms of the Indus basin to ensure water and power security for future," it added. "We believe that water management reform in an extremely urgent challenge for Pakistan and that new infrastructure is necessary for sound management of the Indus basin" Grey said.

Talks on Wuller barrage today

ISLAMABAD: Two-day talks between Pakistan and India over the issue of Wuller Barrage will be starting today (Tuesday) in New Delhi. Pakistan delegation headed by Indus Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah has reached New Delhi. Foreign Office sources said the talks on Wuller Barrage are part of the process of composite talks between the two countries. At the previous round of talks India presented the reviewed design for the barrage to Pakistan. Islamabad rejected the design and demanded it to be changed.In the fresh round of talks the water commissioners from both the sides will visit the place of Wuller barrage and India will respond to Pakistan's reservations on the design of the barrage.

ISLAMABAD: In a corner of classy outlets and next to the Mondrian restaurant in the posh Jinnah Super Market vicinity is a versatile shop with a heavy wooden entrance bearing pretty traditional carving.

Inside the serene shop done in typical village style, wares, mostly hand-made apparels are elegantly displayed for sale with an entirely different objective.

The Sungi Development Foundation’s Craft Shop in Trade Centre of the F-7 Markaz, is a commercial-cum-charity venture aimed at helping poor women of the remote and neglected areas of Hazara Division, specifically the earthquake-hit areas.

The outlet is a superb facility for sale and promotion of crafts designed and produced by needy rural women. These include beaded jewelry, hammocks, glass covers, key chains, embroidered Kurtas and Kurtee, waistcoats, mobile covers, door bells, bookmarks, friendship bands, woven bags, necklaces and picture frames etc.

“The quake-hit areas wherefrom different products are brought here for sale include Garhi Habibullah, Shinkiari, Siran Valley, and Karlal in the Mansehra district,” says Nuzhat Tabassum, programme coordinator of the Sungi’s enterprise development programme.

She added that glass covers, cushions, mobile covers and short Kurtees are prepared by the poor women quake victims of Garhi Habibullah, while money bags, cosmetics bags, handbags and compacts are designed and produced by the victim in Biali.

“The pouches, crochet works and knitting are mostly prepared by the needy women of the Shinkiari area,” she continued. Tabassum further said that these women have been trained by Sungi with a vision to make them stand on their own feet.

Other distant villages from where the crafts are ferried to the Jinnah Super outlet include Noordi, Peerkot, Bhuttri, Darrunian, Ding, Jama, Takyah, Katbah, Dhak in the Haripur district. These villages fall into two union councils of the district -- Rehana and Bareela.

“Sungi not only promotes the sale of these handcrafts but directly purchases items designated as ‘fine quality’ by the organization’s trained quality controllers on the spot,” says Mohammad Javed who runs the shop for the last seven years.

He said that in case of personal products displayed at the shop, Sungi returns 70% of the price to the owners while retaining the rest, 25% for shop outlays.

“Our another outlet at Lok Virsa is for promotional purpose,” says Asma Ravji, the manager of Sungi’s enterprise development program. She added the Jinnah Super outlet is frequently visited by foreigners and Pakistanis. “The entire effort is to help and encourage poor and needy womenfolk.”

Categorization of products takes place at the village as well as at the Sungi office in the capital. “The office collects and register the products in its inventory, before dispatching them to our shops at Jinnah Supper, Lok Virsa and Zamzama in Karachi, Javed explained.

About sales, he said that cotton Kurtas and short Kurtees with embroidery are in great demand. Other small items, he said, often bought by foreigners and locals include mobile covers, key chains, friendship bands, door bells and bookmarks, he maintained.

Prominent among the products displayed in the rear of the shop is a big cotton-corded hammock that costs Rs 1500. It can be fixed with strong tree branches, roofs or anywhere else.

Fetching an embroidered Kurta with a tag showing the name of the manufacturer as Gulshan Bibi form village Noordi in Haripur, Javed said that such items take lot of time to finalize. He added the women have to do embroidery by counting each and every thread of the apparel.

Kurtas at the shop are mostly from Khud Kafalat Group – a body that represents five or six women of the village, led by Gulshan Bibi. The groups are formed to collect and handover crafts to Sungi at the village level.