Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Pakistan Angela Kearney and Chitral Deputy Commissioner Osama Ahmed Warriach on Friday inaugurated the rehabilitation of drinking water scheme in Chitral.

This scheme is the largest and the only source for safe drinking water in the area, it is expected to benefit over 80,000 people in Chitral and the neighbouring villages, said a press release received here. With an estimated cost of $223,000, rehabilitation of the Angarghoon water supply scheme is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom.

Speaking on the occasion, the deputy commissioner said that the district government was grateful to UNICEF and DFID for their generous support in restoring this water scheme which is the main source of safe drinking water for the people of Chitral. People in this region have suffered due to recurrent natural calamities and the district authorities are trying their utmost to rehabilitate the affected population.

Support from the humanitarian community is this context is invaluable and most welcome. UNICEF has proactively restored 20 drinking water schemes in Chitral district and another 21 in Shangla district, within months of the floods and the earthquake that struck the region in 2015.

These schemes have been restored on the principle of ‘build back better’ incorporating the elements of the disaster risk reduction to help communities be better prepared for a disaster and minimize its effects. “Recurrent natural disasters in Chitral during the last few months have made it evident that climate change is having an adverse effect on this region,” said Angela Kearney.

“Restoration of the Angarghoon water scheme is a testimony to the fact that we are mindful of the most basic need, clean and safe drinking water, for the people of Chitral,” she said. “Lack of safe drinking water in the aftermath of a disaster could lead to the spread of waterborne diseases especially among children and that is a situation we wish to prevent.”

“UNICEF is grateful to the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the district administration of Chitral and DFID for its generous support not only for this particular water scheme but also for their overall support to our water, sanitation and hygiene emergency response after the floods and the earthquake in Chitral,” she said.