[DAWN] Contrary to official claims about initiating a number of development schemes in Tirah valley, residents of the region are faced with a host of problems ranging from shortage of water to poor communication and lack of health and education facilities.Since it's the "remote Tirah Valley" you often hear of, it's likely not a new condition.
Residents of Bagh Maidan Markaz, the only business centre in the valley, told this correspondent by mobile phone that landline telephone service was disconnected for the last two months while mobile phone signals too were very weak.
... and cell phone serice is a govt monopoly. Wotta surprise.
Said Karim, a mobile caller from the region, told this scribe that he had to scale a hilltop near his house in Khujalkhel, about one and a half kilometres from Bagh Maidan Markaz to use his mobile and that too with broken signals.
| He said that people were finding it difficult to communicate with their relatives in other cities of the country or abroad. "Mobile phone service to parts of the valley was started only a few months ago while the landline phone service was monitored by the security forces" |
Mr Karim said that residents of most of the localities in the valley were facing acute shortage of water despite having natural springs in abundance. "My wife and daughter travel two kilometres from one side to fetch water in pitchers and buckets from a natural spring three to four times a day as no proper water supply schemes exists in the area," he lamented. His concern was seconded by Ali Akbar, another resident of Bagh Maidan who suggested that if proper water storages were constructed they would then have water in abundance at their homes.
The political administration had in 2016 announced to build 27 new government schools in Tirah and construction on a number of these schools was started the same year, but the process continued at a snail’s pace due to lack of interest by government contractors and difficulties in harsh winter weather.