Nagar Parkar

Today we reached Nagar Parker, the area where the CED project will take place... wonderful scenery, travelling from the Thar Desert into Nagar Parker where it's much more rocky, then down to the Indian border on the Raman Kutch (*need to check the spelling!!). We visited several dam sites; although these are not part of the current briefing, we'll explore whether there are possibilities for doing something. Initial impressions of the area are that people are vulnerable because of lack of water but otherwise most have a lifestyle, albeit one with no financial opportunity. They are poor but not totally impoverished. They keep animals for status rather than keeping money and the women are said to love their animals more than their children. Animals generally look really healthy... lots of camels and donkeys... I'l hope to get my act together and publish some pix.

We had a late lunch at the PVDP Nagar Parkar office, followed by a visit to the local army post, then took tea with the Colonel at his home as he'd got fed up waiting for us at the check-point. A strict Muslim from the North, he was concerned about our motives. As PVDP is very mixed faith, I think he was satisfied that we're concerned to help people rather than to preach at them.

Afternoon spent looking at more dams and dam sites then back to Islamkot for the night. Some of the schemes have problems... PVDP are very much into the idea of small NGOs good; large organisation schemes poor, as they often fail to consult properly at community level. One village without even a proper road to it had a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis plant to take the salt out of the water; it lies rusting away, never having been fully commissioned. The village lost interest when they realised it would take a lot of diesel to run the generator for it.

Having a great time... it's a real privilege to be able to travel and get so much support and information. At the Islamkot guest house we have chapatis morning and evening and cups of tea appear at just the right moment.. Lots of chicken biryani and various other curry dishes. Tomorrow we hope to visit a Jain temple, though first we need to visit quite a few villages where the project will take place. (it didn't happen; by the time we got back from the last dam site it took us until dark to get back to Islamkot).