Portable wheels make difference in remote Sindh areas facing water shortage

LONDON: Water kills more people in Pakistan than terrorism and a group of Pakistani students and professionals based in London are playing their part in making a difference. They have developed a groundbreaking portable H2O wheel that carries 40 litres of water for some of the toughest, water-deprived areas of Pakistan.

The idea of launching Tayaba and developing H2O (Help 2 Others) Wheel was initiated by Bilal Bin Saqib, the director of the non-profit organisation registered in the UK, and has been supported by Pakistani students from Oxford University, Kings College London, City University London, University College London & Imperial College.

Bilal Bin Saqib, former alumni of Queen Mary University in London heads the organisation as a volunteer and runs a digital marketing company in London.

Bilal told Geo News, “We introduced the concept of the H2O Wheel in Pakistan this year to combat the menace of contaminated water, and provide an alternative method of carrying water instead of ‘Matkas’ or earthen pots. The concept of the H2O Wheel makes use of a water barrel, attached on to wheels, with an easy handle grip, and has a water storage capacity of up to 40 litres.The H2O Wheel has three key functions, which include transportation, storage and filtration.”

Despite an abundance of various natural resources in the country, areas such as Tharparkar continue to lack access to clean water, which is a fundamental human right. As per statistics, around 630 children die every single day due to waterborne diseases such as Diarrhea, Malaria, and Typhoid. Over 55 million people in Pakistan do not have access to safe drinking water. Women and children in Pakistan particularly pay a heavy price for this water crisis.

Director of the non-profit further explained that “children and women are amongst some of the neglected segments of the society that engage in the cumbersome task of obtaining water from miles afar daily, whether it be in the scorching summer heat or the bitterly cold winters. Tayaba is an NGO with an aim to address the ongoing water crisis in Pakistan by providing a practical water transportation solution in the form of an H2O Wheel. We aim to bring a change by ensuring that the basic needs of individuals residing in the rural areas are addressed and their lives become burden-free.”

He highlighted that H2O (Help 2 Others) Wheels would not have made any mark without the excellent support received from Dr Asif Jah of Custom Healthcare Society, Ali Zafar and Jibran Nasir, a lawyer and activist.

The organisation has successfully distributed its very first batch of H2O Wheels in Tharparkar Sindh last month, totalling to 290 wheels (one per family) and positively impacting the lives of about 1740 people. ''Thari families appreciated the notion of the H2O Wheel as an ideal method of water storage, transportation and filtration and expressed its usefulness and positive impact in their daily routines'', he said. The second phase of distribution includes more than 1,200 H2O wheels that will be distributed during Ramadan & after Eid.

The H2O wheels are being manufactured in Lahore and distributed in various poverty-stricken areas across the country, with the initial distribution, taking place in Tharparkar. The organisation is currently running on funds and donations provided by family and friends, both overseas and in Pakistan'', he added.

Talking about the future plans of Tayaba.org, Bilal Bin Saqib stated, "I am quite hopeful that in the near future we shall receive enough funds from the public, which we shall use to manufacture a more advanced version of the H2O wheel by incorporating a portable water filter within the wheels to provide an additional benefit to the users. The portable water filtration system, embedded with an ultrafiltration membrane has the capacity of 1-million-liter consumption, serving a total of 100 people, with a filter life of up to five years. The filter comprises of a pouch and cleaning syringe, which shall be attached with a hook, to filter the water stored in the H2O Wheel. The filtration system is long-lasting, enables a high-pressure flow of water and results in the removal of 99.9% of bacteria that is present in the water.”