Thousands of residents of Farash Town and James Town in the twin cities are pleased because they now have access to clean drinking water. Not just that, they have also learned useful skills like how to reuse water and recharge the water table by employing rain harvesting techniques. This positive change has come through a megaproject focused on water security.
The project was a collaborative programme started by the World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) and the Australia-Pakistan Water Security Initiative, an Australian Aid-funded project aimed at strengthening cooperation between Australia and Pakistan on urban water resources management. The megaproject consisted of a series of smaller projects, all scheduled to be operational by the end of December. It is expected that these will be maintained and run with community help.
The primary goal was to tailor, adopt, and demonstrate the Water Sensitive Cities approach in Pakistan. Islamabad and Rawalpindi—two major cities in the country—are among those expected to face water scarcity over the coming years.
### Focus Areas: James Town and Farash Town
The pilot project focused on two neighbourhoods of the twin cities:
– **James Town, Rawalpindi:** Home to over 450 Christian households, James Town has faced acute water shortage problems.
– **Farash Town, Islamabad:** This neighbourhood, with a population of over 20,000, has also been struggling with water scarcity.
“Our area had a severe water shortage. The water table had also gone down. With the help of these projects, we were able to recharge the aquifer and get water from filtration plants installed at various places in the town,” says Yasmin Bibi, a resident of Farash Town.
### Clean Water Access and Community Involvement
WWF installed seven water filtration plants—five within the locality and two in larger schools. As many as 24,500 people now have access to clean drinking water. Impressively, the filtration plants are maintained by the community itself.
“This is a blessing for us,” says Imran Ali, another resident. “Earlier, many families had to go to the Chak Shahzad government filtration plant to get water. We even had to hire rickshaws to fetch water from there. Now, we have clean drinking water at our doorstep.”
Before these interventions, people were so distressed by the water scarcity that those who could afford to were selling their properties and moving to other parts of the city. “But now, with this project, our lives and priorities have changed. It is such a relief not to have to go out of our way to get something as basic as water,” Imran adds.
### Project Interventions
Started in April 2021, the project included several key interventions in both neighbourhoods:
– **James Town:**
– 275 rainwater harvesting systems (RWHS)
– Six water recharge interventions
– Two green spaces
– Two large and one small filtration plants
– 15 solid waste skips
– Two rain gardens
– A sewerage system for 450 houses
– **Farash Town:**
– 375 rainwater harvesting system interventions
– Four ablution water reuse systems
– 31 recharge interventions
– Three green spaces
– Three communal RWHS
– Five large and two small filtration plants
– Four solid waste skips
– Two rain gardens
### Promoting Water Security Awareness
“Such projects are very important. They provide a serious demonstration of models creating awareness about water security,” notes Farah Nadeem, the project lead.
“We have also included water security issues in the curriculum of local schools under this initiative,” she adds.
Through this project, WWF-Pakistan has helped improve access to safe water and sanitation services for two disadvantaged communities. The initiative has also ensured community resilience to climate change and other water-related shocks, while building the capacity of key stakeholders regarding water use and conservation.
### The Bigger Picture: Water Stress in Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, with an average per capita water availability of only 964 cubic meters per annum. Scientific studies suggest that Pakistan is undergoing significant depletion of groundwater resources. This problem adds to the climate change-induced vulnerabilities faced by millions of people already affected by the lack of water, food, health services, and energy security.
The success of the Farash Town and James Town water security megaproject offers a hopeful example of how community involvement, innovative techniques, and international cooperation can address critical water challenges in Pakistan.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/1346830-covering-the-basics