SKARDU, nestled in the heart of Gilgit-Baltistan, has rapidly transformed from a small town into a popular tourist destination because of its modern international airport. However, despite this progress, the city’s infrastructure has experienced little development, rendering it ill-equipped to meet the demands of an expanding population. For instance, chronic water shortage is one of Skardu’s old challenges. The government tasked Wapda with the modernisation of Sadpara Dam, the city’s sole water storage facility. The dam was built four centuries ago by Princess Gul Khatoon when her husband, Raja Ali Sher Khan Anchan of Skardu, was away in battle. Unfortunately, Wapda’s construction was carried out without securing a reliable water source, which exacerbated the city’s water crisis.

In parallel, extensive water channels were constructed by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme with funding from USAID. Designed to procure water from the renovated Sadpara Dam, these channels were to be replenished by the Shatung Nullah, a water source from a stream originating in the Deosai plateau. But due to a flawed bidding process, the construction of the diversion channel was abandoned, leading to severe water shortage and serious hardships for residents. Although Wapda attributed its cancellation to environmental concerns, specifically the protection of brown bears, there were allegations that the real motive was to shield the contractor from financial losses.

Wapda closed its eyes to the massive losses borne by the state as well as the difficulties faced by Skardu’s people. Even drinking water became scarce, forcing residents living along the banks of the Indus to scramble for water from leaky water bowsers that serve hotels. The situation became so dire that a local cleric, Agha Baqir, witnessed a tragic scene where a child was chasing a water bowser with a plastic bottle. The incident reminded him of Karbala, where infants were denied water. Deeply moved and determined to provide abundant drinking water to Skardu city, Agha Baqir resolved to take on the challenge of refilling the dam’s water, bringing it to a suitable level.

Agha Baqir’s strength lies in Baltistan’s tight social fabric, where clerics are not only spiritual leaders but also active participants in community service. Their contributions, particularly the ones by late Sheikh Mohsin, are visible in the form of the region’s high quality school system, shelters for widows and initiatives for the rehabilitation of the poor. Another cleric, Sheikh Ghulam Hussain, runs a network of orphanages which have transformed the lives of hundreds of children. Clerics from the rival sect are also a part of the cause through their profitable agricultural ventures and a tourist resort, generating resources for public service projects. When it comes to a common cause, clerics set their differences aside to collaborate for the greater good. Therefore, people were quick to support Agha Baqir with funds.

Skardu’s committed civil society, in partnership with technical experts, is determined to achieve the impossible.

Skardu is not only peaceful, it is also remarkably self-reliant, to the extent that there are no beggars on its streets and despite the region’s weak economy, no one goes to bed hungry. In this spirit of solidarity, the community pursued arranging water for Skardu. While Agha Baqir spearheaded the fundraising efforts, a team of experts, led by Nazir, a social activist who is highly experienced in managing such projects, assessed the technical feasibility for the dam’s water supply. They developed a feasibility plan with Phalang Stream as an alternative water source for potable water.

Despite the dearth of funds, a committed civil society, in partnership with technical experts, is determined to achieve the impossible. Acknowledging the initiative’s significance, Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Wani initiated a project based on a public-private partnership model. A committee, which was formed to ensure its inclusion in the annual development plan, also endorsed the alternative water source. However, government processes move at a painfully slow pace. While Agha Baqir and his volunteers have nearly completed the excavation of the Phalang Stream, considerable work, such as arrangements for finances, remains to be done.

Moreover, Gilgit-Baltistan’s ambiguous political status has turned it into a region in limbo. Its people are not represented in parliament or in governance institutions where crucial development projects are approved. Pakistan’s successive dispensations have failed to offer even provisional parliamentary representation to this hapless region. Thus, Gilgit-Baltistan continues to be governed by an unaccountable bureaucracy and a weak, deeply flawed political structure.

The consequences of a feeble governance arrangement are clear. The local government is unable to hold Wapda accountable for such unimaginable neglect primarily because it is both colossal and influential. As a result, Skardu has a dam with an extensive irrigation network and a 10MW power addition, without any water. Despite years of protests, Wapda proved too apathetic to undertake corrective measures. Instead of taking up the matter with the federal government, the local government has donated Rs15 million to the project and approved the creation of four new revenue districts, thereby burdening the region with the recurrent and wasteful liability of underemployed government employees.

The people of Skardu patiently await intervention from the ruling elite; testing their patience is far from advisable. The region’s clerics, deeply engaged in social work, command significant influence. While many promote peace and development, some can mobilise large and protracted protests. Given the current toxic political environment in the country, it would be prudent for the government to avoid unnecessary conflict by ack­nowledging and addressing the genuine demands of Skardu’s populace. Immediate action is desperately required for the completion of the Phalang Stream project along with the resumption of work on the Shatung Nullah so that efficient and operational water infrastructure, vital for the entire territory, is ensured without further delay.

The writer, a former IGP Sindh, belongs to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2024