Lack of potable water forces Rustaq families to migrate

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Some residents of remote villages in Rustaq district of northern Takhar province have abandoned keeping livestock and are trying to leave their villages for other places due to water scarcity.

Maulavi Hashem, an official of Pasaband area of Rustaq district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that water in Pasaband Qarluq area had gone extinct and residents had no access to drinkable and clean water. “Every family gets only 10 litres of water in 24 hours from the only remaining fountain”.

Residents of these villages stand in queues round the clock for their turn to get water from the only remaining fountain, but its water is unhealthy and salty.

Hashem said: “Children get infected with different diseases and during the past one year, 14 children have died because of water-borne diseases.”

About 1000 families live in Dashtak village, 600 families in Sangi Ali, 400 families in Misingaran, 200 families in Talik and 100 families in Hafizan village and all have no access to clean water.

These villagers have stopped keeping cattle due to lack of water and they are thinking about leaving their homes for other places.

Sang Mohammad, a resident of Saqaba village, said they were forced to abandon keeping animals and they were trying to leave their homes as well.

He called the lack of potable water a serious issue being faced by residents of remote villages. He said people had to wait for hours and even days in a queue to fill a bucket of water from the only spring.

Abdul Wahid, another resident of Saqaba village, said: “We have no water, we face problems and thousands of buckets are lined up every day near the fountain to get water, some villagers wait for days for their turn, the people sometimes enter fighting.”

The ranching profession has disappeared in these villages and people face serious economic problems, some of them have left their homes. “We want the government to resolve the issue of lack of water in our areas.”

Rahima, a resident of Sangi Ali village, who has been standing in the line to get water since morning prayers, said: “We leave behind our minor children in the house and come to get water, we face serious difficulties in this regard. We wait for hours and sometimes the men do not allow women in the line and we miss our turn.”

Maulavi Ehsanullah, a resident of Misingaran said, some residents had sold their cattle, houses and other belongings to leave the area because of the lack of water.

“Water is the most important matter of life, all humans, animals and greenery need it to continue their life”, he said.

Abdul Wadood Qadiri, deputy district chief of Rustaq district, confirmed the problem and said the residents fetched water on animals from long distances.

Qadiri assured that the government and humanitarian organizations were trying to solve the water scarcity problem.

Previously, officials of Takhar Rural Rehabilitation and Development Department had assured Pajhwok that efforts to solve problems of people in the farthest parts of the province including lack of safe drinking water would be resolved in coordination with donor institutions.

aw/ma

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