Early construction of check dams in South Waziristan sought

WANA: A Jirga of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe here on Friday reiterated full support for the timely and transparent construction of five government-approved check dams in South Waziristan.

Organised under the banner of the Wana Welfare Association (WAWA), the jirga took place at the District Press Club Wana, which was attended by a large number of tribal elders, religious scholars, legal experts, political figures, civil society members and business leaders.

Among the prominent attendees were Malik Tariq Khan, Malik Jamil, Malik Saifullah, Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Saifur Rehman Wazir and Maulana Mehmood Alam Wazir, all of whom expressed strong backing for the initiative.

The participants vowed that no impediment would be allowed to disrupt the construction of the five check dams approved for Zalai area of Birmal tehsil. They also resolved that contractors would not be pressured for commissions, no undue interference would be tolerated in the execution process, and full protection would be provided to engineers and laborers working on the sites.

Addressing the jirga, WAWA president Rehmatullah Wazir provided detailed insights into the project, revealing that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, with the personal involvement of Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, had approved funding worth Rs1 billion for the construction of the dams. He assured that the work would begin soon and be carried out with a focus on transparency, sustainability, and quality.

Rehmatullah said that the steadily declining groundwater level in South Waziristan had become a critical issue, impacting not just agriculture but also daily life due to the growing scarcity of drinking water. He said WAWA’s research had identified 46 potential sites across Wana where further check dams could be built in the future, and these had already been added to long-term development plans.