The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat and Government of Gilgit-Baltistan inaugurate a water supply system for 9,000 households in Danyore

GILGIT(Mountain Pass) The Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan, Mr. MohyuddinAhmad Wani and Chief Executive Officer of the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat Pakistan, Ms. Nusrat Nasab, inaugurated a water supply scheme at Danyore village that brings safe drinking water to 9,000 households benefiting over 70,000 residents in a peri urban community of Gilgit city.The inauguration ceremony has representations from government departments, religious leaders, community and media.

Danyorewater scheme is a public private partnership project, that was initiatedin 2017. The Local Government and Rural Development Department of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan provided Rs. 300.296 million to develop infrastructure to provide clean water to all households, educational and health facilities, places of worship and businesses in Danyore. AKAH Pakistan conducted the Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessments to check the feasibility of the project and using its community centric approach mobilized the community and developed the required infrastructure to connect the water source at 16 kms. The local community participated in implementing theproject through in-kind and cash contribution to construct the scheme.

Through this water scheme the community of Danyore especially women, children and elderly are now receiving WHO standard water at their homes, improving their health conditions, reducing the number of water-borne diseases and expenses on health.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr. Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan said that Government of Gilgit Baltistan endeavoring to improve the basic infrastructure including provision of safe water. He further said that“Our relations with community are getting stronger through thepartnerships with the Aga Khan Development Network. The role that the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Pakistan is playing to save lives and properties in disasters is of great help to local and national authorities. We believe that this water scheme will notonly address the need of clean water at the community levelbut will also help in development of area”.

In her address, Ms. Nusrat Nasab said that “Our profound gratitude to the government of Gilgit-Baltistan for their support and greater partnership with AKAH P that has enabled us to jointly implement over 76 water supply schemes and directly benefiting over 20,000 households (160,000 population) in the region”. “The project demonstrated a unique public-private partnership between AKDN, the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan and the local communities. The drinking water supply system aims to strengthen the resilience of the local population and to improve quality of life. The community of Danyore will be able to enjoy a better and comfort life with access to clean drink water, improved sanitation and hygiene. I commend the residents of Danyore for their hard work and successful completion of the project. I expect you to take even greater interest in its maintenance to make it efficient and sustainable”.

The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat has been working to improve access to water and water security in Pakistan over the last two decades. Through its award-winning and internationally acclaimed Water and Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP), AKAH has provided more than 500,000 people with access to clean drinking water. Most of these water schemes are in mountainous parts of Pakistan, impacting women and children’s health and also reducing the weather-related hardships by providing clean water in extreme winters. On the whole WASEP is improving quality of life and building resilient communities.