“We owe a great debt of gratitude to HDF. Our market had long suffered from the severe lack of clean water. We often had to travel far just to purchase water and there were times when we couldn’t access any at all. Thanks to HDF, they have now blessed us with clean, filtered water right here, accessible to us free of charge,” says Muhammad Amir Ahad, a vegetable seller at Sabzi Mandi, Islamabad.
Pakistan faces severe water stress due to climate change, rapid population growth and mismanagement of water resources. With an 80% decrease in water availability per capita in the last seven decades, a water crisis is imminent. This is not just an environmental concern but a social one, affecting people’s health and livelihoods. The Sabzi Mandi (Fruits & Vegetable Market) success story, initiated by HDF, offers a glimmer of hope in this dire situation.
The community of Sabzi Mandi in Sector I-11/4 of Islamabad, including over 1000 street vendors, shopkeepers and traders and about 20,000 to 30,000 daily visitors, was gravely troubled with the lack of availability of clean drinking water. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had once installed a water filtration plant but its low capacity and lack of maintenance had rendered the machinery useless and unable to fill the need of the community.
For at least six months, the absence of accessible clean water had forced the locals to either purchase expensive water or, worse, consume contaminated water that afflicted them with serious waterborne diseases. Locals fell sick one by one and despair gripped the Sabzi Mandi community. In this dire time, CDA and the Chairman of the Market Committee, Islamabad, Mr. Sadiq Abbasi, reached out to HDF, seeking an urgent solution.
HDF responded with determination, renovating the existing plant and installing new machinery capable of producing 2,000 to 2,500 liters of clean, hygienic water. This plant proved to be a lifeline for the locals, finally providing them with safe drinking water and earning their sincere gratitude.
The Sabzi Mandi success story shows HDF’s commitment to sustainable environment and creating a brighter future amid Pakistan’s water crisis. We firmly believe in the transformative power of compassion and work with empathy to alleviate the hardships of the underprivileged.