PDMA rehabilitates 39 water supply schemes in Swat, Buner

PESHAWAR: Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA-PaRRSA) in collaboration with an international donor agency and line departments has rehabilitated 39 water supply schemes in the far-flung areas of Swat and Buner districts benefiting about 24,000 families.

The schemes included water storage tanks, hand pumps, drinking water. A total of 24,000 families are the beneficiaries, said a press release. Under the Relief Department, PDMA-PaRRSA has completed 13 drinking water supply schemes in Buner and handed them over to the line department. Up to 26 water supply schemes have been completed in Swat. While the work is in progress on 10 other schemes in Buner and nine in Swat. In Buner, many small villages lack basic facilities, including access to clean water. Women and children typically shoulder the burden of water fetching, facing long and hilly tracks which often leads to only contaminated water sources. Waheedullah, a resident of Akram Mohallah in Mingora, Swat said: “This initiative has particularly changed the lives of women and teenage boys and girls. Women and girls of the area used to fetch water the whole day. Therefore, they could not give proper time to own families, house responsibilities.”

Inamullah, a resident Gul Bandai in Buner said: “We are happy and thankful to the authorities for providing us with an alternative source. Handling this issue has also reduced tension in the community.” The people of district Buner and Swat said they were grateful to PDMA-PaRRSA for completing water supply schemes, installing water pumps and constructing water tanks.