Pajhwok report helps resolve Qarghanto water problem

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): After the release of a report by Pajhwok Afghan News, the drinking water problem has been resolved in Qarghanto area of central Bamyan province.

Few months ago, Pajhwok published a video report in which some residents of Qarghanto area complained about their lack of access to safe drinking water.

The residents told Pajhwok they did not have access to potable water and area people had contracted various diseases due to the use of contaminated water.

Nazeem Hakimi, head of Hamwatan Educational and Vocational Institute in Bamyan, said in order to address the problem, they had recently implemented a health project worth $50,000.

He said the project, executed with financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), included the promotion of healthcare awareness, distribution of kits and construction of a potable water supply network.

He added a healthcare training programme was conducted for 6,400 people in the area, where 650 families benefited from kits and a water supply network was built for about 80 other households.

According to him, this network with has the capacity to supply 10,000 litres of water. It runs on solar power and has 10 water pumps.

Ali Juma Rizwani, a religious scholar in Qarghanto, expressed happiness with the implementation of the project and said previously residents would consume contaminated water from a local river, which caused diseases.

He said the use of polluted water had caused serious problems to residents, especially children. But with the construction of the water supply network, inhabitants hope they would no longer face such problems.

sa/mud