Access to and availability of potable water has always been a major problem in Mastung district, particularly in the rural areas, where people use water from wells and perennial streams. Water is supplied through different sources: tube wells, hand pumps, open surface wells, karezes and springs. Tube wells have by far become the major source of water supply through P.V.C pipes, which have advantages over iron pipes. Therefore, the Public Heath Engineering Department (P.H.E.D) is using this sort of piping for distribution of water in Mastung district. According to the estimates provided by P.H.E.D authorities, 40% of the total population has been provided with piped drinking water facilities. These facilities have been provided to 10,470 houses. All the schemes run by P.H.E.D are either piped schemes or tank schemes. In the case of piped schemes water is supplied from the source to the houses in pipes. Forty percent of the total population in the district has access to potable water supplied by PHED and 59 percent of the population is getting water from wells, tube wells and perennial water. Local government also provides community hand pumps. These schemes cover one percent of the population.

 The following two constraints have been pointed out by the community, in connection to PHED schemes. First, the bills, particularly the first bill, arrive after a very long time. Second, some of the beneficiaries are not prepared to pay their bills. Sometimes the community as a whole refuses to pay.

Despite the coverage by PHED, many people still have to fetch water from remote areas. Normally children and women are involved in this water fetching activity. Goat skin and rubber containers are used by women to transport and store the water. In far flung areas, nomads face many problems in getting drinking water.

The management of water supply in the district is the responsibility of PHED, except in Mastung town where the water supply is administered by the Municipal Committee. The consumers who wish to join the schemes have to be registered with PHED and have to pay the cost of connection from the main connection to their houses. There are many illegal connections in the district. Local government provides hand pumps to the community on cost sharing basis.

In district Mastung the quality of ground water varies from place to place. In most of the places where PHED supplies water, the water is of very good quality. There have been some studies indicating that there is potential for exploiting water in the district valley, but due to the very low water table it will be very expensive to use that water in future. According to the Irrigation and PHED authorities in Mastung district, however, the ground water has much potential. The resource can be developed by utilising modern technologies such as drilling for tube wells and supply of electricity for the installation of tube wells or turbines.

The prevailing hygienic conditions in the district are not satisfactory. There are a number of reasons for this. The only city (Mastung town) has grown without any planning, therefore it lacks a proper sewerage system. Due to lack of education and social and civic responsibilities, the general hygiene situation is poor. The facilities for toilet and drainage are quite inadequate. There is no data available to show the waste disposal method of the various households. However, it has been observed that a growing number of households in Mastung have linked their flush system with septic tanks. Still most of the houses have dry pits in their houses, while in rural areas most of the people go out into the fields. The sanitation facilities can be improved by the supply of water and through awareness among the masses.

The waste water from the houses is disposed of through open drainage systems. The hygienic conditions are even worse in the rural areas of district Mastung. The streets are unpaved and have no drainage at all. Waste water remains stagnant outside the houses, creating breeding grounds for flies and mosquitoes, thus creating health hazards. PHED is not yet involved in sanitation. Local government, through the municipal committee and town committee is involved in the disposal of waste and in the provision of sanitation facilities. According to the Municipal Committee authorities they have not received any grants from the provincial government since 1994. Their income from octroi is not even sufficient to cope with their non-development expenditure.

The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) was created in 1987. Before, PHED was part of the Irrigation Department. The main objective of the Department is to plan, implement and manage water supply schemes throughout Balochistan, excluding Quetta City. Among other things it is planned to provide piped water in sufficient quantity for domestic use. It was also planned to improve the sewerage system and sanitary conditions. PHED is not yet involved in sanitation works, though it intends to be in the near future.

As said earlier in Mastung, water supply is the responsibility of the PHED and the Municipal Committee (in Mastung town). In towns with a Municipal Committee, as in Mastung town, sanitation is administered by the Committee, whereas in small towns the tasks related to sanitation are organised by the Union Council.

The Department of PHE in Mastung comprises 163 persons headed by Executive Engineer at the district level. He is assisted by an SDO, a Supervisor and other technical and non-technical staff.

In water development, particularly in the coverage of water services, PHED is actively involved. Federal government and NGOs have not been involved in sanitation or water development. International donors are involved to some extent in the above mentioned activities. Through their sanitation programmes in the rural areas international donor agencies have contributed to the creation of a sense of awareness among the population.

Government has made tremendous efforts in the provision of safe, piped drinking water facilities. It is unfortunate that the beneficiaries of PHED schemes in some cases are not paying their utility bills. A problem is that some water supply schemes are sanctioned on political grounds rather than on real needs. Illegal water connections have created hygienic and financial problems for the PHED. Water supply schemes need to take into account the social and cultural constraints, i.e. tanks and taps should be installed away from public places, enabling women to fetch the water. The hygienic conditions in the district are very poor, there is no proper drainage system. Even in the urban areas the state of sanitation is miserable. Sanitation within the households should be improved to prevent health problems. Women need to be trained in better hygiene methods.

 Water is becoming more scarce, as the water table shows a downward trend. The consequences for those who fetch water, (women and children) will be that they will have to spend more time to bring the water from distant areas. This will further burden their lives. Another consequence will be the negative effects on the ecological balance and agricultural development in the district.

 Back to Mastung