Water supply project initiated in Bara village amid joy

BARA: The tribes people expressed joy as a clean drinking water supply scheme was initiated in Shadalo Killay of the Bara tehsil in the Khyber tribal district on Wednesday with the assistance of Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP).

The cheque distribution ceremony of the scheme was held in the Jirga Hall of the Assistant Commissioner Compound Bara in Khyber.

The gathering was attended by the local elders and members of the community-based organisation of Shadalo Killay.

Member Provincial Assembly Shafiq Afridi, Additional Deputy Commissioner Relief for Khyber District Naveed Akbar, Khyber Planning Officer Faridullah and Bara Tehsildar Ghuncha Gul also attended the event.

The drinking water supply scheme will be completed in the next four months with a total cost of Rs4.2 million and will benefit over 150 households (1200 persons) in the village which previously faced severe issues related to drinking water.

The scheme is funded by the European Union and financed through KfW under the “Aid to uprooted people in Pakistan” project.

The SRSP representatives said that the initiative was aligned with the government policies and mandate to bring about a positive change in the lives of the people in these areas.

MPA Shafiq Afridi said that this was the first initiative for development in their community in 73 years.

He said it would have a beneficial impact on the lives of the community particularly the women who had to go miles to fetch water on donkeys and then store it in mud storage tanks.

The lawmaker thanked the SRSP for addressing their pressing issue and putting a transparent system in place, which involved the community at all stages.

In a parallel event, SRSP disbursed 89 assets (tool kits) to enhance local business in the Bara tehsil.

The beneficiaries of the asset transfer programme were selected under the “Reintegration and Rehabilitation of Temporarily displaced people in the merged District” project.

It is a German Government-funded project, which is also being financed through the KfW and implemented by the SRSP.

The basic intent of the asset transfer programme is to enhance the capacities of the existing small businesses in the district by strengthening existing business models. The beneficiaries included owners of grocery shops and bakeries.

“Aid to Uprooted people in Pakistan” and “Reintegration and Rehabilitation of TDPs in merged Districts” projects are being implemented in Kurram, Khyber, Orakzai, North and South Waziristan districts under funding from the European Union and Government of Germany, respectively and are being financed by the KfW.