Water: A Matter of Life and Death |
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March 22nd, 2006 - 06:45PM |
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The October 8 earthquake damaged water supplies in Pakistan, forcing many survivers to travel long distances to carry water from alternative sources. Photo: Rafael Hermoso/International Rescue Committee On World Water Day (March 22), Sohail Nazir, an IRC environmental health coordinator, shares an update on how one village in Pakistan that lost a spring to the October 8 earthquake was able to tap in to a new water source with IRC's help: Located at the intersection of two tectonic plates, Telhata village is a two-hour drive from the town of Mansehra. It is situated in Kaghan Valley, a scenically spellbinding area popular for its verdant pastures. Before the October 8th earthquake last year, Telhata was home to 2,200 people and about 500 heads of cattle. But the 7.6 magnitude earthquake reduced the entire village to ruins, smashing 90% of the homes and killing 51 people and almost a third of the cattle. At Telhata, one can see about 25 to 30 feet displacement between the two plates and the huge destruction caused by the monster earthquake. The villagers not only lost property, cattle, livelihoods, belongings and their dear ones, they also lost their only available water source--a spring. Without water, health conditions for the survivors deteriorated and they had to bury their dead without giving them the final bath, an important Muslim custom before burial. When the IRC team first arrived in the village, they met a 60-year old woman carrying a jerry can who pleaded “Please help us remove these jerry cans from our heads.” She explained that due to the destruction of the water source in the village, people had to walk five kilometers on a narrow path to fetch water using jerry cans. After conducting field assessments, the IRC team identified another spring as a permanent water source for Telhata residents. It was located about 5.5 kilometres away and could only be reached only by a three-hour walk up a steep hill. To connect the village to the new water source, the IRC had to lay 16,000 feet of pipeline and replace the existing pipes that were badly damaged. The biggest challenge was how to bring the materials from the main town to the various construction points on the hill. With the help of Telhata residents, the IRC was able to bring water from the source to the village and establish 14 water connections at five communal places within three weeks. To do this, the villagers set up three committees--one committee was assigned to support the IRC team at the water source, the second undertook the assessment and repair of the existing distribution line and the third was responsible to transport materials from the main road to the working site. With the pipes in place, the IRC is now working on restoring distribution lines to the individual households. In an agreement with the community, the IRC provides the basic fittings and pipes along with technical support, while villagers will contribute the manpower needed to fix all the individual connections. Hope in the form of water has been restored for the people of Telhata, for whom water now flows through every tap. While speaking at a community meeting, a Telhata elder remarked “IRC has brought life to Telhata.” The United Nations has designated March 22 as World Water Day. This year’s theme is “Water and Culture” drawing attention to the fact that there are many ways of viewing, using and celebrating water as there are cultural traditions all over the world. Each region of the world has a different way of holding water sacred, but each recognizes its value, and its central place in human lives. Posted By: theirc | Asia, Pakistan Earthquake Permalink |
