Communities celebrate as more uplift projects launched in merged districts

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) initiated eight drinking water and sanitation projects under the European Union-Funded and KFW financed “Aid to Uprooted People in Pakistan project in Orakzai and Kurram districts amid celebrations by locals.

The projects which include four drinking water supply schemes and four sanitation projects would be completed at Rs23.7 million, benefiting over 1100 households in the Spinbegi, Mir Bakabad, Qambarkhel and Nari Kada villages of Orakzai and Mandam, Masti Mulk, Sangeena and Pasta Shaga villages of the Kurram district.

Local elders, political dignitaries and representatives of the district administration attended the inauguration ceremonies which were attended by scores of community members as well. Member National Assembly (MNA) Jawad Hussain and Lt Col Abid Hussain (Wing Commander 151 Wing Kurram), Assistant Commissioner, Lower Kurram, Fazle Dawood, Assistant Commissioner, Central Kurram, Zahid Khan, attended the events as chief gusts in Orakzai and Kurram districts, respectively.

MNA Jawad Hussain lauded the SRSP efforts to reach the remote corners of the province.

Lt Col Abid Hussain urged the communities to benefit from the livelihood programmes and involve the youth in the projects.

He said the people of the region had stood with the armed forces in restoring peace. Ashiq Hussain, one of the community elders from Pasta Shaga village of Kurram in his vote of thanks, said that they had been drinking contaminated water since long. “It is a day of jubilation for all of us that our longstanding demand is going to be solved as the people will soon start drinking clean water without any hassle,” he added. “Aid to Uprooted People in Pakistan” is a five-year-long community-driven development project funded by the European Union, financed through KFW and implemented by Sarhad Rural Support Programme in five merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Under the scheme, 312 small infrastructure schemes would be built in five newly merged districts and over 5,000 community members would be trained in livelihood enhancing skills to enhance their socio-economic situation.

An official said the SRSP was invited by the government to initiate community-driven projects in erstwhile FATA in 2007 with a long-term capacity grant from the government. The organisation has since emerged as a major development and humanitarian player in the region.