ZARANJ (PAN): People in the capital of Nimroz said potable water was their main problem while some of the residents of the remote localities were of the opinion that draught was a serious problem of the province.
Located to the southwest of the country, Nimroz province shares borders with Iran and Pakistan. The province faces water shortage. People said the underground water elsewhere in Nimroz was saline, posing a serious problem for the population.
“The unavailability of drinking water is our major problem. People use to buy a 20 liter bottle of water at the rate of 20 afghanis,” residents said.
Haji Masood, a local elder said the matter of concern was that Helmand River was flowing through Zaranj city toward Iran but local officials did not bother to provide the dwellers of the capital city with clean drinking water.
Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, he said when Helmand River was dried or its water level decreased then temperature soared to 50 degree Celsius.
Gul Ahmad, another resident of Zaranj while complaining about the water scarcity said everyday around 500 tankers of water were being brought to the city, adding but when the water of Lashkari canal was dried then people were unable to get the water.
“The entire Zaranj city has four deep wells, which cannot fulfill the need of the people. Residents get up early in the morning and wait for hours for their turns to get water from the wells,” he added.
Noor Ahmad, a resident of Zaranj said the big Helmand River was flowing toward Iran but the people of the capital city had been able to get only one inch pipe water. He said the water coming from the Helmand River through the pipe was being used by officials, government departments and influential.
Khalil-u-Rehman, head of rural development department said his department had initiated work worth $12 million on a project of provision of drinking water facility.
“As many as 60% work of the project has been completed. At least 200,000 people will get clean drinking water once the work on the direly needed project is completed,” Rehman added.
Haji Juma, a resident of the capital city said work on the water supply project was going with a slow pace and he was not sure it could be completed during the next year.
Residents of other districts also complained of potable water problem.
Mehmood, a resident of King District said due to water shortage and long draught caused deaths of around 20,000 animals. He said farmers lost around 80 percent of their livestock.
Residents lost their cows, sheep, camels and other kinds of animals because of scarcity of water, he added.
Ghulam Sakhi, another resident of the locality said animals could not find pasture or green grass because of continued draught.
A farmer said he could not get any crop and only lost his seeds he cultivated, adding that other famers too did not yield any crop because of unavailability of water and draught.
A resident of Chahar Burjak whose name could not be confirmed, complained about the absence of government departments in his district, saying people were facing immense problems in resolving their problems.
Haji Yousuf, a resident of Chahar Burjak district told Pajhwok Afghan News people used to go to the provincial capital to resolve their problems.
Most of the residents complained about the growing insecurity on highways in the province, demanding that air facilities for passengers should be provided.
Habibullah, another resident of Zaranj said people of his city had the facility of flights but people were facing multiple problems and travelling hardships as the flights facility had been suspended now.