Project considered an important step in rural development, combining advanced engineering with strong community participation
Lift Irrigation Project in Nagar District, GB. PHOTO: EXPRESS
German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel on Thursday visited the Qorqon Dass Lift irrigation project in Nagar district of Gilgit-Baltistan, welcoming the initiative to transform arid mountain slopes into fertile agricultural lands and promote large-scale afforestation in the region.
The German envoy met with members of the local community and representatives of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP), which implemented the project under the Hydropower and Renewable Energy Phase II (HRE-II) initiative, supported by the German development bank KfW.
The innovative irrigation system pumps water 418 feet upstream to the Qorqon Dass plateau, allowing 1,200 kanals of previously uncultivated land to be cultivated. The project is seen as an important step in sustainable rural development, combining advanced engineering with strong community participation.
“This initiative reflects the enduring partnership between the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and German development cooperation,” Lepel said. “This demonstrates how collaboration and shared commitment can generate tangible progress in improving livelihoods and resilience. »
A distinctive feature of the project is its focus on women’s empowerment. Thirty percent of the newly irrigated land – approximately 360 kanals – was allocated to women’s organizations, giving them direct ownership and control of agricultural production for the first time.
“The water lifted upstream has also elevated our place in the community,” said Bibi Hoor, president of the Akbarabad Women’s Organization.
In addition to advancing gender equality, the community has designated an additional 30% of land as wildlife habitat, underscoring its commitment to biodiversity and climate resilience.
“Climate change has hit our mountains hard: springs have dried up and wildlife is disappearing,” said Sajid Ali, president of the Shainbar Rural Support Organization. “By devoting land to agriculture and biodiversity, we heal both our people and our environment. »
Villagers described the project as a technical feat and a social transformation. “It’s like taking a river up the mountain,” remarked a local elder as the first streams reached the plateau.
Located about 50 kilometers from Gilgit and perched 6,079 feet above sea level, Chalt in Nagar has long depended on subsistence agriculture. The new irrigation system is expected to benefit more than 570 families by improving food security, increasing incomes and promoting environmental regeneration.
For AKRSP, the project continues a four-decade legacy of helping mountain communities reclaim and cultivate more than 131,000 hectares of new land across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.
Experts say the integration of technology, social equity and environmental management in the Qorqon Dass project makes it a model of climate-smart rural development in Pakistan’s northern regions.
