WITH urban infrastructure facilities like water supply, sanitation and solid waste management being practically non-existent in most urban centres of Afghanistan, the war-ravaged nation has been seeking help from India in this regard.

With India extending help of over $250 million to Afghanistan, a number of projects in wide-ranging sectors, including power, road construction, telecommunication, health, education, agriculture and industry are being undertaken by Indian agencies. India is the fifth largest bilateral donor in a country where 37 nations are engaged in the rebuilding process.

One such project, w.hich was formally launched here, is the much-needed sanitation-cum-community toilet project executed by Sulabh International and funded by the Indian govemi^snt at a cost of $1 million. The Mayor of Kabul, Rohullah Aman, and India's Ambassador in Afghanistan, Rakesh Sood, inaugurated the facility in the presence of the founder of Sulabh international, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak.

Five public toilet complexes have been built at Sarai Shymalie, Char Rahee Khote Sangi, Deh-e-Afghanan, Froshgah and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health. These have shower facilities, a separate section for nursing mothers, and use eco-friendly bio-gas digester technology.
Incidentally, it is the first time ever in Afghanistan that bio-gas has been produced and for the common Afghanis it is like a miracle.

The Afghanistan minister for Urban Development, Dr Q. DajaK lalzada, said public sanitation facilities were non-existent in the country and the coming of the five public toilet complexes in Kabul was a big help from India. "'The facility would be of great use to women and it is very eco-friendly and suited for the country," he said.

The Mayor said that with more than two decades of war all the civic facilities have been completely destroyed and India could play a major role in their reconstruction.
"With a population of over 4.5 million, only 20 per cent of Kabul is linked with a partially functional sewerage system. So we expect the Indian government to construct some more such complexes within Kabul and later in other urban centres like Kandahar, Herat, Jalalabad, Kunduz, Baghlan and Balkh," he said.

Referring to India as a 'great country', he said Afghanistan was looking for more aid and assistance for building of more public toilet complexes, as they were keen to have such facilities at all the urban centres.

The Indian Ambassador appealed to the international community to come forward and undertake sanitation and public health projects as this was a very important component of the rebuilding process.

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak said special care had been taken to ensure that the plant works even in sub-zero temperatures in the harsh winters. "A total of 34 Afghanis have been trained at Sulabh centres in India so that they can run and maintain these complexes and replicate them in other parts of the country," he said. With nominal charges of two and five Afghanis, the complexes would be self-sustaining as about 5,000 people are using them in Kabul daily.

SOURCE:
by Pratibha Chauhan lately in Kabul
THE TRIBUNE,
NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2007