April 6, 2009, Khairo Dero: Ali Hasan Mangi Memorial Trust completed the first phase of its sanitation project in the village of Khairo Dero, district Larkana, in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh. The project was implemented in partnership with Karachi-based Orangi Pilot Project, a pioneer in sewage disposal systems.
We began with the biggest of the four catchment areas in the village. This catchment disposed sewage from open drains into a big pond. Since sewerage from 60 percent of households was being disposed in this open pond,the prevalence of preventable disease in the village is high. According
The completed sewage treatment unit. The brick construction is the filter in which the water is treated.
The drain at the point marked A carries sewerage into the treatment unit marked at point B. Treated water then flows from the outlet at C into the irrigation canal at point D.
to a plan designed by Orangi Pilot Project, we built a sewage treatment unit near the pond. Then, we laid down pipes through which the sewage is now flowing by natural gravity and being treated through a filter system in the treatment unit. Clean water is then being released via a pipe into a nearby irrigation canal. That way, the clean, recycled water can be used for fruit and vegetable farming.
Our team motivated the local community who contributed labor and coordination services for this project on a voluntary basis. This is part of our plan to involve the local community in every project. The materials for the project were provided by Ali Hasan Mangi Memorial Trust, courtesy of our donors. The total cost of building the treatment plant and connecting on either side to the sewage pond and the irrigation canal was approximately 400,00 rupees or $5000.
This is phase one of our overall sanitation project. Since this is now functional, we will monitor its working for a period of two months before we move to the next phase. This will involve the disposal of the other three, smaller catchment areas, the conversion of open drains in the lanes into sewers or covered drains.
Now, we need to employ a watchman at the site of the treatment plan, who will be responsible for its security
A close up view of the filter
A worker puts the finishing touches on the undergound pipeline that takes clean water from the treatment unit into the irrigation canal.
and maintenance, including routine cleaning of the system. Government-built sanitation systems have always failed to work because of a lack of maintenance. For this, we need to raise funds to cover his salary of 2,500 rupees a month, or 30,000 rupees ($400) for one year. If any of our donors are willing to sponsor his salary for a year or on a continual basis, that would enable us to effectively maintain the unit we have built.
We thank our donors for their generosity and continued support.
