Water scarcity forces some Faryab families to migrate

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Some residents in northern Fayab province have complained against the lack of clean drinking water and said drought and uncontrolled use of underground water for irrigation caused the drinking water wells to dry up.

Local officials acknowledged the problems and warned if unprofessional and uncontrolled use of ground water continued and the mini dams of Almar, Dihandara and Khisht Pul not constructed the people of Faryab and special Maiman city will face drought in years to come.

Ahmad Suhail Khashai, a community leader of the Balochkhana area in Maimana, told Pajhwok Afghan News consecutive droughts, digging deep wells and excessive use of underground water in fields and gardens by wealthy people have caused the wells of residential houses to dry up and people to face a shortage of drinking water.

He asked government officials to stop the unlimited use of underground water and construct the half-completed mini dams of Almar and Dihandar by addressing the future water shortage issue.

Haji Imam Nazar Javid, head of the community council in the first Municipality District of Maimana, said around 9,000 people lived in nine communities of the district who are facing acute drinking water shortage and some families had left the area due to the none-availability of water.

Javid said: “The water in the wells has dried up and some well were no more useful for drinking, the water supply network that was previously built by one of the institutions in the area is out of service, many times we asked the local authorities for help to solve the water shortage crisis, but they never implemented their promises.”

Abdul Rahim the resident of Damqol Guzar who came to another well in Balochkhani community, said daily he came three or two times for getting drinking water and he had to wait for hours here.

In addition, he said he had to pay over 1,000 afs rent to Rickshaw for transferring bags of water.

He said earlier water in their area was provided by a water facility built by an NGO but from the past some months the water facility was not functioning and hundreds of families faced water shortage.

Qurban Ali, the resident of Shuroqul area in Khawaja Sabzposh district, said he travelled seven kilometres to Khawaja Qeshri area daily to arrange drinking water.

He added daily one person from each family travel to the area with an animal and to bring drinking water.

“Around 600 families lived in Shourqul area who are facing drinking water shortage,” he said.

Haji Abdul Rasoul, the resident of Shour Qoul area who migrated from his ancestral area due to water shortage, said from the past several areas they faced water shortage and several times conveyed the issue to the authorities but the then government paid no heed to their problem.

“The residents of the area, especially widows and children whose fathers live in Iran, travel at least 7 kilometers in winter and summer to get the water they need from Khawaja Qeshri area,” he said.

Acting Agriculture Director Eng. Umar Zaland said drought, digging of deep wells and use of underground water in cultivation and unnecessary disposal have caused the underground water level to drop by 5 to 6 meters every year and the wells to dry up.

He said According to a survey that was conducted a year ago, 5,000 deep wells with more than one inch width were drilled in Faryab province for gardening and agriculture purpose, and this number may have increased during the past one year.

He pledged local authorities were committed to ensure the uncontrolled use of underground water by installing meters on the wells and determine the amount of water consumption.

He warned the water shortage issue would further get complicated if people did not pay attention to the consumption of water.

Referring to a formal letter, he said the Governor Office had been asked to issue directions to relevant authorities specially to the Maiman Municipality to ensure the uncontrolled and unlimited use of water in different Municipality Districts of Maiman.

Pir Mohammad Mohammadi, director cultural and social affairs of Maimana Municiaplity, said efforts had been taken to prevent the excessive use of water in the city.

He also recalled if people did not take care in water consumption they would destroy their future by their own hands

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