By Muhammad Daud Khan
Parachinar is a small town, the capital of Kurram District in Pakistan
The town is situated on a neck of Pakistani territory. The total population of Kurram is 615,372. However, the upper Kurram Tehsil, Parachinar, consists of 252,436 inhabitants.
Through the small town of Parachinar runs a valley that many of the locals rely on for water. There are a few ways to source water from the Valley without using electricity. The most efficient way to source water from the Valley is through pedal powdered water pumps.
However, the local people don’t use bicycles; they just use cycle pumps. These pumps are putting air pressure in the water pipeline. When air accumulates in the pipeline, it disturbs the water flow – as a result, the water starts flowing.
Anwar Ali, 42, helps his elder brother in pumping air through one of these old-fashioned bicycle pumps. After pumping more air pressure into the pipeline, finally, he receives water and starts filling his plastic hand-carry water container.
Ali and his family are not alone. From the past ten years, the entire Parachinar city and dozens of surrounding villages have been facing severe water shortages due to streams drying up.
“In the winter, we didn’t receive snow as expected,” says Syed Hussain, a 65-year-old resident of Parachinar city.
“Snow on mountains and in the city is a sign of plenty of water in summer. The last winter was sporadic. Now the residents are paying the price [with] a shortage of water.”
Hussain has been surprised with the record lowest snowfall in winter. He said in the past 60 years, Parachinar had received the least snow in a season.
“We haven’t seen such scorching summer in Parachinar for ages,” he says.
“Normally we don’t switch on ceiling fans in summer, but it was unbearable for us this time. We don’t know the reason, but nature is very unkind to us.”
