Construction of a drinking water well and a water collection system in Kabul, Afghanistan
The groundwater level in Kabul has dropped massively due to the drought of the last years and there is no clean drinking water in many places of the capital of Afghanistan. This affects the daily life of the people especially children, pregnant women, sick people and elderly people.
Fundraising campaign
In September 2022, the Roshany organization launched an appeal for donations for the construction of a drinking water well at the Qalaahi Kashef site in Kabul and also organized several charity events so that around 350 families can access clean and continuously available water. The aim was also to plan the construction of the wells with the local people so that the drinking water can be used sustainably. Roshany was in regular contact with partners in Kabul who were implementing the project.
Start of construction
The donation target of € 3,000 for the construction of the well was reached in July 2023, meaning that all building permits could be obtained in summer 2023. Construction work on the drinking water well began in September 2023, with local companies being employed on site. Their activities are documented by photos and invoices.
The challenge
The well is 90 meters deep. Pipes and equipment for the well construction had to be transported by truck. Unfortunately, the alleys in the surrounding area are so narrow that some neighbors had to partially demolish their property walls. The Roshany organization has therefore decided to collect further donations and support the affected neighbors with € 500,- so that they could use the money to rebuild the walls.
Completion
The well was completed at the beginning of November. The well is operated with an electric pump that pumps the water into the water storage tanks. A new water storage tank with a volume of 4000 liters was built and connected to the 2000 liter storage tank already on site.
Utilization
As the well is accessible to everyone, the electricity for the well is provided free of charge by the state. The drinking water that people fetch is piped from the two reservoirs to the water filling point with three taps. When the reservoirs are full, the well is open every day during the day. If there is less water in the two reservoirs, there are special opening times in the mornings and afternoons for fetching water. So the reservoirs can be refilled with water from the well in the meantime.
The local people pay for other running costs, such as maintenance and repairs, by donating money from each household in the neighborhood, depending on their income.
Installation of water collection system
In order to make the drinking water well usable in the long term, a follow-up project was developed in November 2023. The Roshany association launched a fundraising campaign for the installation of a water collection system in the Qalaahi Kashef district.
The collection system was completed in February 2024 and consists of a pipe and a specially manufactured filter. The filter ensures that no foreign bodies can get into the pipe.
The water from the gutters of the surrounding houses is also used. The water collection system collects surface water and returns it to the ground in a targeted manner so that new groundwater can form over time.
