A Visit to
Gilgit Baltistan
From 9 to 13 October, 2011
By: Imran Khan
An Exposure visit of Khow Local Support Organization was
arranged by AKRSP under the ICIMOD funded project namely “Enhancing Water
Governance in Mulkhow”. A team of 14 members comprising of the member of
Governing Body and Management staff of KLSO along with chairman Local
governance committees of Mulkhow visited Gilgit City, Hunza, and Ghizer
district of Gilgit Baltistan region from October 09 to October 13, 2011. I was
assigned with the team as a facilitator by AKRSP Chitral. Here is a brief
report of the activities and visit of the team.
DAY 1. Sunday,
October 09, 2011
The journey from Booni started at 10 o clock in the morning.
We reached Mastuj by at 12 o clock. In Mastuj we had our lunch in a local hotel
and resumed our journey at around 1 o clock. In Laspur we stopped for tea and
then continued our journey forward. We passed through Shandur Top while it was
snowing there. It was already dusk when we reached Phander. Our Journey
continued nonstop and when we reached Gilgit city to stay in GC hotel when it
was exactly midnight. We had dinner after arrival and then stayed in the hotel
for the night.
DAY 2. Monday,
October 10, 2011
After breakfast we were joined by Mr. Ibrahim from Core
office Gilgit who took us along to Village and Women Development Organization
Company Danyore office located in Danyore. Manager of the LSO Mr. Zafar Ullah
Baig gave us a detailed presentation regarding the LSO and its activities and
achievements since its formation in 1997. After the presentation there was a
question answer session in which the visitors took keen interest. They asked
various questions regarding the activities and method of operation of the LSO.
The LSO was involved in many works of public sanitaton like installation of
dusbins and recycling of wastes which was visible while we were passing through
the local bazar. After the meeting we
came back to GC hotel Gilgit for lunch.
After lunch we started our journey towards Hunza at around
2:30. We were accompanied with by Ms. Naema of ID section from Regional office
Gilgit.
On the way we stopped at Rakaposhi view point in Ghulmet
Nagar for tea and resumed our journey afterwards. We reached Hunza at around 6
o clock in the evening and stayed in Hunza view Hotel (HVH) for the night.
DAY 3. Tuesday,
October 11, 2011
Today was rather busy day for the team. After breakfast we
went on foot to Baltit fort from situated in Karimabad Hunza on a top of a hill.
We took tickets and were entertained by a guide who led us for a tour of the
inside of the historical fort.
He was very
informative guy who described to us a brief history of Hunza valley and put in
the picture the histocal significane of Baltit fort. It was around 700 years
old and had been the rural palace upto 1945 when it was abandoned by the then
ruler. It was renovated by Aga Khan Cultural services Pakistan (AKCSP) in the
1990s. Inside the fort there were various items were on display which were
couple of century old. It took us one hour to visit the fort and its
surrounding. we came back to HVH on and
had tea at the hotel.
Then quickly we went
to see a project of AKCSP namely women Social Enterprise (WSE) in Altit village
of Hunza. Here women were doing carpentry work and making furniture from wood.
This was a big step towards women empowerment in the area as those working in
the center were earning a decent income from the activity. It is an obvious
display of what females’ potential are and they are capable of doing jobs which
were dominated by male only couples of years ago.
Next we went to a project o Karakorum Area Development
Organization (KADO) for disabled women situated in Aminabad Hunza.
In this center 25 physically handicapped women work to
prepare fabric from sheep’s wool. All the stages of production are carried out
in the same house. We were also briefed by the project manager about the
working of KADO-an NGO which is widely involved in development work in Hunza- its
major intervention in the area and regarding its future strategies for
empowerment of the local communities. He told us that KADO is a sustainable
institution and is planning to widen its coverage in the whole of GBC. After
the activity at the center we came back to HVH and had our lunch.
Promptly after lunch we had another activity. We went to
Hyderabad Local Support Organization (HRSO) office situated in Hyderabad Hunza.
A meeting of HRSO was going on there with another LSO on matter of some mutual
interest. However the Manager Mr. Amin was kind enough to spare time for us and
giving presentation to us on the working of HRSO in the region. Most of the
discussion in this session was regarding the water management, governance and
distribution in Hunza valley. We were told that water is scarce in Hunza especially
during spring season. Therefore they people have devised strategies and formed
Town Water Management Committees to cope with the problem. In the meeting we were joined by a member of
the Town Water Management Committee who further elaborated the system of water
governance and the procedure of water distribution in springs and summer. It
was a matter of mutual interest and the visitors made it interactive by asking
questions and sharing their experience of water governance. The meeting
concluded at 5 o clock in the evening and we came back to HVH.
Some of the group members went on foot to visit the area
along the Altit Fort in the evening.
At night at the Hotel a show of Hunza music was arranged by
the hosts and was very much enjoyed by the teams.
DAY 4. Wednesday,
October 12, 2011
Our plan today was to travel back to Gilgit from Hunza.
After breakfast we left HVH at 8:20 in the morning and started our journey on
way back to Gilgit. We travelled for around three hours and came to Shainber
LSO in Chalt.
We were briefed by the Gen. Secretary of the LSO because
Manager had gone to attend an important meeting in Gilgit. Various topics came
under discussion and the hosts told us about their way of getting the
government projects and approaching other donors. In the meanwhile the Chairman
of the LSO, Mr. Akhtar Hussain who is an active social worker of the area
joined us. We had a brief chat with us regarding the development intervention
of SRSO in the area.
After the meeting we resumed our journey to Gilgit and
reached there by 2 o clock. The visitors were very enthusiastic regarding
market visit and shopping so after lunch we had a tour of the market where the
visiting team members had a shopping opportunity in a relatively cheaper market
of electronics and kitchen appliances. We went back to GC hotel at the evening
after the shopping was complete.
DAY 5. Thursday,
October 13, 2011
Being the last day today we were supposed to travel back to
chitral. We all got up early in the morning at 5 o clock and left Gilgit city
after breakfast at the hotel. Our travel was smooth and enjoyable as we were
passing through one of the beautiful landscape of the region. We reached at the
Shandur Local Support Organization (SRSO)
Teru by 11 o clock and had a
brief meeting with the management of the LSO.
In the meeting the visitors were briefed about water
governance and rangeland management practices of local people in the the Union
Council Teru. Beside the management team of the LSO highlighted the major
achievements, current activities and future challenges which they have to cope
with. We then take up our journey forward and came to Langar- a place near
Shandur for lunch. Then passing over shandur we reached Mastuj at about 4 o
clock and had tea there. We reached Booni at 6:30 pm and thus a smooth and
enjoyable visit came to an end on a happy note.
Thanks for your Patience J
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