Energy

Fuel wood and kerosene oil are mainly used for cooking and heating in Kech district while most of the tubewells are diesel operated. Kerosene oil is used for lightening in most of the areas as electricity is provided in Turbat (regularly) and Buleda (for limited hours) areas only. All the kerosene oil, diesel and petrol comes from Iran through cross-border trade, except a limited quantity of diesel. As this trade is in violation of the country laws, record of total import is not available. The price difference in Iranian and Pakistani petroleum products is significant and there is no vigilance on cross-border trade. Therefore this illegal trade flourishes well. One litre of petrol is available for 10-11 rupees, of diesel for 6 rupees and that of kerosene oil for 12 rupees. The only Pakistani petroleum product being sold in the district to some extent is diesel, because it is without any contamination hence good for motor vehicles. The consumption of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is increasing, mainly for cooking. Electricity, where available, is mainly used for light. However, 58 connections have been provided for agricultural purpose.

Although official reports contradict the existence of forest in Kech, fuel wood comes from woodlands of the district. The price of fuel wood is increasing as at present 40 kilograms of fuel wood cost rupees 80-85. Regular electric supply is a great need of the area as it will ensure the running of more tube-wells for irrigation.

Water Supply Kech

Most of the ground water in Kech is potable. Mostly open surface wells and karezes are used for obtaining drinking water. In some areas PHED has constructed water supply schemes where drinking water is supplied through overhead and community tanks. Diesel or electricity operated tubewells and open surface wells are also used to provide water. According to the Public Health Engineering statistics, about one fourth (23.2%) of the population has access to safe drinking water through these schemes. However it is estimated that another 15 percent of the population gets illegal connection from these schemes to acquire safe drinking water. In 1981, about 50 percent of the population was using water obtained from open surface wells while 47 percent was obtaining drinking water from karezes, rivers, and springs. Only 3 percent of the population had access to piped drinking water at that time. No recent data is available on water supply coverage of the population.

A diesel powered engine for open surface well

Drinking Water

As it has been indicated above, about one fourth (23.2%) of the population is supplied drinking water through 65 water supply schemes, excluding 23 non-functional schemes, constructed by the Public Health Engineering Department. In case of overhead tank or direct pumping, water is supplied through house connection and a monthly flat water rate is charged from consumers. Most of the schemes are provided with community tanks from where children and adults fetch water. The remaining population obtains water from open surface wells, karezes, and springs. In collaboration with UNICEF and the Dutch Government, the Water and Sanitation Cell of Local Government and Rural Development Department has installed 410 deep well hand pumps throughout the district which has made the fetching of water an easier task. Basically these hand pumps are installed on already existing open surface wells therefore sources of water have not increased. The coverage of potable water has definitely increased. In the areas far from villages, women and children fetch water for domestic use. Sometimes they use donkeys and small trolleys if they have to bring water from a distant source. However, in the villages women are not asked to fetch water from community tanks or other sources and male family members do this job. Usually people stay near the water source and cultural norms of the area restrict women from going around public places.

Indigenous way of obtaining water from open surface well

A total of 23 water supply schemes constructed by the Public Health Engineering Department are not functional mainly due to unavailability of operation and maintenance (O&M) budget and staff for these schemes. Another obstacle in functioning of these schemes is government’s policy of handing over water supply schemes to the community. According PHED people are not eager to operate these schemes by themselves and government does not allocate O&M budget for water supply schemes, so it is a hanging position. The people argue as to why they are being asked to run the schemes by themselves, while some other schemes are being funded by the government. Some of the schemes are non-functional because of illegal water connections, which usually outnumber the legal ones. The illegal extra connections result in minimal supply to the legal consumers and, consequently, they do not pay water charges. The vested interests of politicians worsen the issue and in the end the scheme becomes non-functional. Sometimes water provided for household use is illegally used for irrigation, which deprives many consumers of their right to get drinking water.

The water supplied through schemes is chlorinated before supply. All community tanks are lined and water pipelines are laid one metre below the surface to avoid breakage and consequent water contamination. The hydrogeology department of WAPDA is responsible for providing a report on the quality of water at the proposed scheme site. Presently most of the schemes are diesel operated therefore operational costs are high. Although water supply schemes have facilitated people with provision of drinking water, the overall satisfaction within the community is low.

Drinking Water Supply Administration

Most of the water supply schemes are administered by the Public Health Engineering Department. To date the department has constructed 88 schemes, out of which 65 are functional. Out of the functional schemes 12 have been handed over to the community for operation and maintenance. The government has introduced a policy of handing over the water supply schemes, built by government, to the community for operation and maintenance. Now most of the non-functional schemes owned by the Public Health Engineering Department are waiting to be handed over to the community.

The water supply schemes constructed by the Public Health Engineering Department supply water in two ways; through house/commercial connections and through community tanks. In case of house connection a monthly flat rate of 30 rupees per connection is charged while 250 rupees per month are charged from commercial consumers. In case of water supply through community tanks no water charges are levied. In case the schemes are being operated by the community, the Water Management Association fixes the tariff and levies water charges from consumers. The community arranges for the operation and minor repairs costing less than 10,000 rupees. The major repairs (more than 10,000 rupees) are arranged by the Public Health Engineering Department. The 12 schemes handed over to the community are being operated well.

Ground Water Sub-sector

The quality of drinking water in Kech is good. Normal level of ground water is 20 metre while the maximum is about 50 metre. A total of 92 test wells were drilled in Kech up to mid 1993 by the Public Health Engineering Department, Power and Irrigation Department, Balochistan Integrated Area Development Project and WAPDA to examine the quality of water.

Sanitation

In Kech, the sanitation is very poor. There is no sewerage system, no solid waste management, and no cleanliness. Three organisations, including the Public Health Engineering Department, the district council and the municipal committee have a mandate to provide sanitation services to people, but except the municipal committee none is addressing this important issue. The service provided by MC Turbat is only for Turbat town and, that also, is inadequate. The committee has a tractor trolley by which after collection, household garbage is dumped on the river bank and sometimes burned. The District council and the Public Health Engineering Department have an excuse of unavailability of funds; the result is that sewerage water flows in the streets, household garbage is dumped just outside the houses and a very pungent smell is characteristic of most of the villages. None of the government or non-government organisations has a plan for a motivational campaign to educate the people, men and women.

In 1995, 220 flush system latrines were constructed by the Water and Sanitation Cell of Local Government and Rural Development Department in collaboration with the UNICEF throughout the district. These latrines, in fact meant for families, were constructed at public places therefore are of little use. However people are making such latrines in their houses, as the result of the demonstration affect.

Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department

The department is headed by an Executive Engineer at district level. The Public Health Engineering Department is mainly responsible to construct, operate and maintain water supply schemes; to look after water resources; to provide sewerage and solid waste disposal facilities; and to levy water and sanitation charges. In Kech, the Public Health Engineering Department is sub-divided in two sub-divisions, Turbat and Mand, headed by the respective Sub-divisional Officer (SDO). The total staff of the Public Health Engineering Department in Kech is 305. In 1995-96, recurrent budget of the department was about 9,340,790 rupees while no development budget was released to the department. The department levied an approximate amount of 2.5 million rupees on account of water charges and deposited to the provincial government account. The operation and maintenance budget in 1995-96 was 2.0 million rupees and the same has been requested for 1996-97; this amount has not been received to date. It is hoped that after handing over all the water supply schemes to the community, the department will direct its attention to exploitation of more water resources and sanitation services.

GO/NGO/Private Enterprise, etc. involvement in Water Development

The provincial government plays a major role in the provision of water and sanitation services in collaboration with some international donors and local NGOs. The increased participation by the community in operation and maintenance of water supply schemes will not only lessen the burden on public exchequer, but will also ensure better service delivery.

Conclusion and major Development Issues

At present about one fourth of the population, plus 15 percent illegal consumers, have access to safe drinking water through water supply schemes. If all the schemes, constructed to date, would have been functional, coverage percentage would have been nearly 50 percent. Non-functional schemes can be made functional by motivating communities for taking over the schemes. The provision of electricity for operation of water supply schemes can cut down the operational cost. Appointment of a Community Development Officer in Panjgur is an appreciable step towards bottom-up development planning model which may be followed in Kech district also.

There have been some complaints of irregular water supply through the Public Health Engineering Department’s schemes. This complaint can be removed by ensuring efficient operation and supervision of these schemes.

The site of water tanks needs to be chosen carefully in consultation with the local community, keeping in view that women usually fetch water. The installation of water tanks at public places restrains women from using this source of water. Hence they still have to walk long distances to collect water from other sources.

Awareness raising to improve the sanitation is equally important. Unless men and women of the area do understand the bad effects of poor sanitation, they will not co-operate and continue dumping garbage in the streets.