The Regional Vice President, South Asia, of The World Bank, Praful C Patel, inaugurated a Rural Growth Centre (RGC) established by Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) under an Integrated Area Upgrading Programme at a cost of Rs 9 million to provide a wide-range of facilities to the marginalised communities, here on Tuesday.
This RGC, a third generation initiative of PPAF, consists of provision of infrastructure, water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment, solid waste management and disposal system, improvement of educational and health facilities, street pavement, mangrove plantation, hard and soft landscaping, streetlighting and a cricket ground and a children play area have been completed for the benefit of the poor communities.
The project is being implemented by PPAF partner organisation, Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, Pakistan (AKPBS,P). Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, Pakistan, (AKPBS-P) has constructed 16 community water tanks inside the town along with sand filtration units comprising roughening and slow sand filters, to clean the water, which is to be supplied from the under-implementation Government Water Supply Scheme.
Land use and infrastructure plan has been prepared by utilising state-of-the-art technology and satellite imagery of Keti Bunder served as base plan of the project area.
After digitising, ground referencing and ground truthing the imagery, land use and infrastructure plan was prepared. AKPBS,P is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, which works to improve the living conditions of the people with reference to housing environment and infrastructure.
It has implemented over 70 projects in lower Sindh and over 300 projects in Northern Pakistan, with the support of PPAF and other donors. It received the prestigious Alcan Prize for Sustainability in 2005 and the World Habitat Award by UN-Habitat in 2006. AKPBS,P is being supported in Keti Bunder by its sister organisations-Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan, and Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan.
Having significant importance with respect to its geographical location and plan to make this project a model for other rural growth centers in Sindh Coastal Area Development Program area, the project aims at an integrated development of settlements. The physical infrastructure interventions have been integrated within health and education services and social safety nets programme.
Keti Bander town is situated at a distance of 195 km east of Karachi and 95 km from Thatta. It is a tehsil (Taluka) with a total of 195 villages spread over an area of 771 square kilometres.
A vast majority of people are living below the poverty line and their dependence on natural resources has increased. Traditionally, agriculture, livestock and fishing had been the major sources of livelihood. High quality red rice was extensively cultivated and harvested.
The agriculture has now deteriorated due to water logging and salinity. Currently, dominant sources of livelihood being, fishing (90 per cent), agriculture & livestock rearing (8 per cent) and remaining in government and private jobs. PPAF has launched a systematic and comprehensive programme to address land degradation and restore livelihood substantially of these vulnerable areas PPAF is the lead institution for poverty reduction interventions in the country.
Set up as a fully autonomous private sector institution, it enjoys facilitation and support from the Government of Pakistan, the World Bank and other international donors. The outreach of PPAF now extends throughout Pakistan and its microcredit, water and community physical infrastructure, drought mitigation, education, health and capacity building interventions have expanded to the nook and corner of the country.
PPAF carries out various interventions through 72 partner organisations working in 112 districts across the country. PPAF has so far formed 100,000 community organisations and groups and its cumulative operational activities entail over 2 million microcredit loans (impacting 12.5 million with 45. per cent women beneficiaries and 100 per cent recovery rate), over 17,000 health, education, water and infrastructure projects (impacting 8.6 million with 50 per cent women beneficiaries), 250,000 trained individuals, staff and communities (42 per cent women).
In earthquake-hit areas, PPAF is managing housing grants to over 117,000 households and trained 107,000 individuals in safe construction skills. Furthermore, it is rehabilitating/constructing over 600 facilities in infrastructure, health and education sectors. It is also running a livestock replacement and disability programme.
The Rural Growth Centre project has not only improved the living condition of the community and given them a humanly acceptable environment, free from sewerage pools and dusty streets, but also contributed significantly to the health and improvement in enrolment and attendance in educational facilities.-PR