Sanitation failure in Dera Ismail Khan

Obsolete system in which sanitation workers clean open drains in the city by a stick has caused many genetic diseases in the area. Local medical authorities ignore this alarming situation. Southern Districts Area Water Partnership is raising the issue in local and national newspapers. According the survey conducted by SDAWP following factors are responsible for this tragedy:
1- Education system has failed to produce good stuff. Cheating, cramming and bribery during examination provide cheap stuff to medical colleges who churn out half baked doctors who know only to mint money.
2- Sanitary workers are extremely poor and illiterate. They can't understand the significance of cleanliness.
3- TMA staff is corrupt and pays very little attention to deteriorating situation in the city.
Solution:
Education system requires overhaul. Cramming and cheating should be abolished. Medical Colleges must provide genuine doctors who pay attention and introduce scientific techniques to deal with health problems. Salaries of sanitation must increase at least rwo fold. They should be given health facilities and life insurance.

Southern Districts Area Water Partnersship

Southern Districts Area Water Partnership
Central office: Imam Gate, Dera Ismail Khan NWFP Pakistan
+92 03219604217 ittaskforce1@yahoo.com


SDAWP, Southern Districts Area Water Partnership extends over seven districts of North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. Partnership was created in 2000. In 2002 it was affiliated with Pakistan Water Partnership. On 22nd March, 2004 it celebrated World Water Day on a distinguished scale in the region and registered itself as a serious stakeholder on Water supply and Sanitation.
For details:
http://pakistantimes.net/2004/23/metro.html,

http://www.worldwaterday.org/wwday/events/view.php?id=227

http://www.csdwand.net/data/sheet.asp?cn=Pakistan&fn=LA0016


SDAWP plans to primarily work in urban areas (the administrative centers) of 7 districts and latter on to concentrate on adjacent rural areas. The seven districts are Hangu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Kulachi, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan. In last sixty years these areas were ignored by provincial and federal governments. Most of the region faces water crisis. 95% of local population consumes contaminated water. Major areas are not cultivated due to mismanagement of water resources. Due to paucity of funds SDAWP can not pursue IWRM in the entire region. Therefore Dera Ismail Khan and Tank are the focus of our attention at present.

Dera Ismail Khan City was founded by Ismail Khan, the son of Sohrab Khan Baluch in 1469. It was swept away by River Indus and British rulers rebuilt it in 1823 on modern architectural patterns. The Municipality was established in 1863.At this point of time the city had an ideal environment. Water supply and sanitation was balanced. After 1947; just after partition of subcontinent into India and Pakistan, the situation started to deteriorate. Today it is horrible. Very little effort was done for improvement in last sixty years. In 2002 system of local government was introduced but it also failed. Main water related problems in the urban areas are as under:
Drinking water
Due to obsolete sewerage system based on open drains underground water is dangerously contaminated. In 2004 local government laid pipes with the financial assistance of World Bank but as these pipes pass through open drains, the water gets contaminated due to leaks and poor insulation.

Poverty in the area

Children here have no access to sports so they enjoy playing in filthy environment

Thrashing gram ( Channa)

A thrasher costs 500 rupees per hour. The business is with the Afghan refugees who abound in the area

Eating Habits

Slaughtering a goat and cooking it is fun in the area. Suhbat or Painda is a favorite dish of the local people.

Local plantations

There is abundant flora and fauna in the area.

Sardar Sarfaraz Khan Gandapur of Karballa

Sardar Sarfaraz Khan Gandapur is a known cultivator in Karaballa

Rain in Karballa

I visited Karballa on 14th April 2009 and it rained for two days. The flood water stopped my way back to Dera Ismail Khan.

Karballa

It is situated some five kilometers from Kulachi to its west. There is no electricity in the area.

karballa Kulachi

Kulachi is an old city. It was part of Dera Ismail Khan before partition. It was inhabited by Hindus. It was a walled city. There were many gates that allowed people form tribal areas after thorough search.