By Hani Ramzan
These women, children and men leave their homes and start their day with the search of water under the scorching sun. At times they travel for miles in search of water and end up fetching the dirty water of streams, taking it as a treasure.
In Pasni, a town about 50 KM from Gwadar city, people have been hit so hard by the water shortage that they have to abandon their native places and migrate to other areas.
Alam Khan, a resident of Pasni is one of the migrants, who moved to Sur Bandar with his family and abandoned his home in Ganon, a village area of Pasni.
“We left our home and migrated in distress and under compulsion. It was very painful,” said Alam Khan.
“We have heard that the Government is transforming Gwadar into another “Dubai” but we only demand water.”
It is worth noting that Gwadar is at the center of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project worth $52.
Like Alam Khan, Peer Imdad gave up everything in his native village and moved to Pasni city. He told Pak Voices that all of his animals died due to water shortage.
The population of Pasni faces severe drought due to lack of rains for the last four years. The situation is worse in the villages where streams, ponds and wells have gone dry. The simple villagers like Peer Imdad and Alam Khan are migrating to the city with the hope to start a new life. But it has multiplied their problems as they don’t find sufficient water even in the city. To their frustration, they have already moved far from their homes but to no avail.
The water level in two of the reservoirs, Shadi Kor Dam and Swed Dam has already reached the dead level.
Peer Jaan, the in-charge of National Rural Support Program, Pasni, told Pak Voices that they constructed about 32 ponds but those are dry due to persistent drought.
On the other hand, the government had announced that it would provide free water by the tankers but Rehm Dil, a resident of Pasni, refutes this claim by the government.
“We pay 1000 rupees per chamber to the tanker owners and follow up with them but they deliver it after a long wait.”
Another resident of Pasni, Qambar Ali sums up the situation, “Tanker mafia, in connivance with certain responsible people, has resorted to trading the blessing of water.”
Hani Ramzan is working with PakVoices as a citizen journalist from Pasni, Gwadar.
Edited by Hasan Khan
