ISLAMABAD: The completion of water and sanitation project in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral has improved the living standards of around 200,000 people there.

This was stated at a seminar on Wednesday by the beneficiaries of the project.

Tasleem Bano, a beneficiary of the project, from Khanabad, Lower Hunza, said: “My daughters used to have stomach problem as they would drink dirty water from a well and we spend Rs500 to Rs600 from my husband’s monthly income of Rs6,000 on their treatment.”

She said the completion of safe water project has not only saved her daughter from the disease but the amount as well which they spent on their treatment.

Besides, it spared her from fetching water from a far off area, she said.

Agha Khan Development Network in collaboration with German Federal Foreign Office through Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) Development Bank completed the project.

As part of KfW’s grant of €9.4 million (Rs1.25 billion) announced in 2010, safe drinking water, sanitation and sewerage facilities were provided in northern Pakistan.

The project included provision of potable water to people in over 12,000 homes, installation of 10,000 latrines and more than 12,000 household tap stands, as well as 500 communal taps.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Wolfgang Moellers, KfW Country Director appreciated the combined efforts of the government departments concerned and the Aga Khan Development Network in addressing the local development issues with effective public participation.

“This synergistic approach is the reason why Germany has supported Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) over the last 20 years,” said Moellers.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Akhtar Iqbal, CEO-Aga Khan Foundation(Pak) said, “The project not only addresses basic water and sanitation needs of the people but facilitates the communities to put in place structures for long term development in their respective areas.”

Hafiz Sherali, Chairman Aga Khan Planning and Building Services said: “We have been able to uplift the lives, particularly of women and young girls, who used to spend a large part of their day collecting water from contaminated sources located far away from their villages.”

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2015

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