Innovative Solution

drinking water

technical

Heavy rains that started in the last week of July 2010 triggered both flash floods and riverine floods in several parts of Pakistan, including District Kohat. In Kohat, the badly affected area was Shakardara, devastated by both flooded river Indus and the flash floods. To respond to the urgent humanitarian needs of the flood affected populations in Shakardara, SABAWON targeted the WASH needs of the people. For clean drinking water, SABAWON installed new hand pumps where technically possible, and rehabilitated many existing water sources. In one case where hand pump was not feasible in a hilly area, SABAWON came up with an innovative solution to solve the clean drinking problem of a large population.

There was a shallow well of about 2 meters built on a natural spring in the village. However due to large number of users on this spring, there was rush of people and shortage of water. As mainly the women has the responsibility of fetching water in this area, they were facing difficulty in getting water, have to travel long distances exposing them to other hazards and also had little time to perform other household chores.

SABAWON built a large covered reservoir along with a laundry space to use water that overflows from the reservoir. The reservoir is at a short distance from the natural spring as it was decided not to disturb the spring itself. A circular wall was built around the spring to raise the water level, and then through gravity it was directed to the reservoir via pipeline. The solution worked best and solved the clean drinking water problem in that area.

Shakardara, District Kohat, Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

SABAWON initiated this project. The stakeholders were flood-affected community, line departments and civil society, etc. Consultation of community and all stakeholders were sought in all stages of project.

SABAWON is member organization of FANSA Pakistan.

This project is already completed and has been handed over to the local community.

SABAWON solved the clean drinking problem for the flood-affected people of Shakardara, Kohat. Before the intervention there was shortage of water, wastage of water, and the people have to travel long distances to fetch water which was not easy and safe for women having the main responsibility of getting water. Clean drinking water is now available all the time, there is no wastage of water, and the people can access it easily and safely near their homes.

Through its solution, SABAWON sets the course that innovative and out of the box solutions should be given a chance to solve the problems and in a cost effective manner. The solution was much appreciated by the community and other stakeholders.

A Water committee comprising of local community elders and activists has the monitoring and maintenance responsibility of the project after it was handed over to them. SABAWON provides the technical advice.

The solution has a high appeal and potential of replication, especially in the hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, gifted with natural springs.

Community should be involved in all stages of project, as they have some very key indigenous information which any external actor can’t have.

It is worth spending resources on an innovative solution as they pay off big.

SABAWON will continue its struggle to provide clean drinking water to disaster-hit people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, recognizing it as their basic right.

Name: M. Tariq

Address: House 230, St. 4, Sector H-1, Phase II, Hayatabad, Peshawar

Tel: +92-91-5810424

Email:  mtarique1@yahoo.com

Solution Pictures

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