ZARANJ - Residents of southwestern Nimroz province say they lack safe drinking water the price of which has doubled with increase in temperature, fearing a human catastrophe in future.
Officials confirmed the shortage of safe drinking water in Nimroz and its rising prices but they said that problem would be solved soon.
Ghulam Sakhi, a resident of the first district of Zaranj, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the weather was hot as the temperature reached 45 degrees Celsius. “We do not have water to drink. The price of a water tanker has reached 700 afghanis and it is possible that it will reach a thousand.”
He said that most of residents could not afford to buy water, adding that before the weather warmed up, the price of a water tanker was 300 afghanis.
“We call on the local and central governments to pay attention to our demands so that we do not suffer from water scarcity,” he added.
Meanwhile, residents of Kang district said they faced water shortage and urged the government to pay serious attention to the problem.
The inauguration of the Kamal Khan Dam allayed concerns about a possible drought, HaroonElmi, Kang district chief said, but three months later, the problem of water shortage increased again in the province.
e noted that their findings show that 2,300 farmers have been affected by the water shortage and their crops have dried up.
He added the governor was bound to solve people’s problems in cooperation with the relevant departments.
A scholar Maulvi Mohammad Juma said the district’s agriculture and livestock sectors were affected this year and farmers spent everything they had on their land.
“But water did not come and now people even buy water for drinking, cooking, and washing.”
“We buy a water tanker for washing and eating and drinking for 700 Afghanis; while we have no income. Our lands are barren. The temperature has reached 48 degrees. The government should pay attention.”
People’s representatives in the National Assembly and civil activists said if attention was not paid, a catastrophe will occur.
Gul Ahmad Noorzad, a representative of the Nimroz people in the Wolesi Jirga, also expressed concern about the lack of water in the province and said that a humanitarian catastrophe would occur if the problem was not addressed.
He said currently the citizens were buying a water tanker for 700 Afghanis against its earlier price of 300 afghanis. “It’s really worrying for us”.
He said farmers and gardeners had been severely affected because of the lack of water.
Haji NematullahSiddiqui, a member of the Provincial Council, said that the lack of water was one of the biggest problems facing the people.
He added: “When the temperature reaches 48 to 50 centigrade and there is no water, what do you think will happen? Disaster occurs, Kamal Khan Dam was built but today the water shortage is raging.”
He said if early attention was not paid to resolve the issue, people would either perish or forced to leave their homes.
Officials: The problem of water shortage in Nimroz will be solved soon.
RahmatOmari, governor spokesman, said water supply services to people were running normally in 24 hours.
He said thousands of cubic meters of water was delivered to the city but drought and low water in Helmand River had led to shortage of water.
He said that work was underway on two deep wells in Qala-e-Fatah and it was expected that the work will be completed soon and the problem of water shortage will be solved. (Pajhwok)