The IRC Partners with Community to Build Revitalizing Waterworks

Mansehra District, PAKISTAN 06 Feb 2007 - Reconstruction and rebuilding continues at a fervent pace in earthquake-ravaged areas of Pakistan. The International Rescue Committee made yet another contribution toward the recovery of affected communities by partnering with the residents of Upper Hisari, a village in the Mansehra District, to build a vital water supply system. The project is one of five permanent water systems the IRC is constructing in Mansehra.

“Water is the source of life and we were facing great difficulties in restarting our lives when we resettled in this area,” says Shams-uz-Zaman, head of the village Water Management Committee. “I want to thank the IRC on behalf of the whole community for responding to our call for help.”

The project in Upper Hisari is unique in that the water system is new, rather than a restoration. The village itself was created in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake and monsoon rains in order to accommodate 1,700 displaced people from 16 destroyed villages. The IRC used 1,900 feet of pipe and two storage tanks to bring water from a spring located 2.5 kilometers from the newly established village.

“The handing over of this scheme to the community reflects IRC’s core principle, which is that we work with communities rather than for communities,” says Suzanne Smith, director of IRC’s Earthquake Recovery Program. “IRC also helped establish the Water Management Committee for the village, which will ensure equal access to water by all the members of the community and monitor the supply of clean water on time.”

At a ceremony last month to dedicate the waterworks, the local nazim, or mayor, expressed the community’s appreciation for the work done by the IRC. “This scheme is good example of how an international NGO lets the local community take the lead in its own rehabilitation and provides assistance in response to their needs, not only by involving the community, but also by collaborating with the local government,” he said. “This indeed is true partnership and capacity building.”

IRC’s hygiene and health promoters continue to work with the community, especially women, who typically oversee domestic tasks. Villagers must remain vigilant to ensure proper water drainage and prevent outbreaks of water-borne diseases.
 
The IRC presently is working to complete 43 water supply systems in the earthquake-affected areas of North-West Frontier Province and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. All the projects eventually will be handed over to the beneficiary communities.