Inauguration Ceremony (completion) of Murgha and Talana WCL

By Asif Imran Regional Engineer - Zhob

Background

During last four years (1998 – 2002), Balochistan especially Zhob district was badly affected by Drought. Communities were compelled to leave their native villages in search of water for their and livestock survival. The orchards were destroyed and agriculture production became non-existence. Even the migratory birds discontinued their stay while going from North to South.

One of the most affected was Badinzai area, where orchards just disappeared because water in Karezes dried and community left the area in search of water. Due to acute shortage, hardly drinking water was available for only human beings. Thousands of livestock died due to out break of various deadly diseases. The city of Zhob was overcrowded because of rural influx.

HDF Intervention

HDF intervened the Drought affected areas and initiated various relief activities such as supply of medicines, provision of Drinking Water Supply schemes and construction of a Delay Action Dam at Shahabzai.

The Shahabzai village was the first location where HDF staff formed a Community Organization named Khushhal Shahabzai. After completion of DAD, the community asked HDF staff to support them in lining of their Karezes. There were five Karezes among which two Karezes suffered from maximum water losses. The local communities asked HDF staff to consider their lining. The community willing contributed towards the construction of Talana WCL. The physical works on Talana stared in the first week of Feb 2003 and completed with a record period of two months only contrary to design period of six months.

Once Talana WCL was completed the other community on Murgha WCL was motivated and collected their due share for the lining of their channel. Murgha WCL was completed at the end of May 2003. The quality of Murgha WCL is better than that of Talana WCL because after construction of Talana community got experienced and completed Murgha WCL with better finishing.

Inauguration (completion) Ceremony of Talana and Murgha WCL

When the WCL of Talana and Murgha were completed, the community was enthusiastic to share their achievement with others. They invited the district Nazim as chief guest for this occasion. Besides this the community invited local representatives, personnel of irrigation department, staff of Sabakzai dam, representatives of Radio Pakistan, press reporters and HDF staff. Due to sudden official visit of District Nazim to Quetta, Chairman Tehsil Zakat Committee was called as chief guest. The school children presented flowers and guard of honor to chief guest. The function started with recitation of Holy Quran and was followed by speeches of different guests. All guests and community members were served with traditional launch and occasion was celebrated with folk dances & songs. All expenditures were born jointly by the community members.

Expressions of Community

• The community feels very proud and narrate their story to others when they sit in a public gatherings

• There is no seepage around the channel, therefore, the yield of cultivated land has increased manifolds.

• All members get their required water share and sometimes surplus water is also available,

• The community members are now planning to increase their orchard areas.

• The community feels that they would become economically self-reliant depending on their agriculture alone.

• They have planted more than thousand forest plants and have plan to increase this number in coming season,

• Surrounding communities are visiting their village site as a picnic spot