Hilly areas of AJK & KP: Erra completes 40,000 rain harvesting schemes

The Earthquake Reconstruction Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) has successfully completed 40,000 rain harvesting schemes in hilly areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, costing Rs 550 million. This was stated by the Project Director Syed Zaheer Hussain Gardeizi in a briefing to the Deputy Chairman Erra Major General, Azeem Asif while submitting the project completion details.
Sharing the details of the meeting, Syed Zaheer Gardeizi said that October 8, 2005 earthquake not only killed thousands of people but also damaged houses, infrastructure including 4,700 water supply schemes. He said that Erra water and sanitation directorate reconstructed and rehabilitated all damaged water and sanitation schemes well in time benefiting more than 2.7 million people in earthquake affected hilly areas of AJK and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said that rain water harvesting project was completed in 20 union councils of earthquake affected districts and successfully installed 40,000 systems at vulnerable houses and public buildings. The prime objective was to lessen miseries of the women folk whose precious time is consumed in fetching water from the meadow which is also injurious to their health, he added.
He informed the meeting that the first ever roof top rain water harvesting projects in public sector of Pakistan has not only improved the livelihood of people in the area but also have a positive impact on their health. After earthquake, Erra thought out of the box strategy and initiated the project for conserving water for daily household use and flora and fauna.
About the strategy, he apprised the meeting that more than 3,000 local volunteers were trained to install the rain harvesting system. In this regard, awareness campaign has also been launched to motivate inhabitants of the hilly area to alleviate their miseries. Gardeizi said that taking the precedence of Erra the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has principally approved to launch similar projects under Galiyat Development Authority areas with technical assistance of Erra for betterment of the area.
In his concluding remarks, Deputy Chairman Erra eulogised the commitment, dedication to complete the project which brings relief for hilly area families. It is encouraging that women folk who consumed almost six hours in fetching water have been now relieved of this extra burden.