Turbat City Issues and information
Turbat city information and perspective:
Turbat is the native land of legendary Puno; it is not only the name of a Tehsil and it is also the name of a locality wherein the City commercial center does locate. Turbat is in District Kech and the District’s previous name was also Turbat. The City/Urban area is consisting on 300 Square Kilometer including Abser , Turbat, singanisar , Malikabad , Koshkallat and Sarikahan. As per the local Government last set up Turbat was a Union council, while Turbat name and its connotation is common among people, when it is told by someone it is going to Turbat it means he is going to city center for buying and fulfillment of daily chores, of life.
Turbat City is the Headquarter of Makran Division, this feature and its geographical location has developed the City as the Commercial and Services Hub of the division. This time Turbat is feeding many of its suburban towns and villages. People from Periphery’s and suburban town commute daily for fulfilling their different needs like shopping in bulk to run the other smaller shopping centers in other towns. Along with the commercial needs people would come here for having medical facilities because the facilities being provided by Health departments through its outlets (known as Dispensaries, BHUs, RHCs) are not sufficient. Therefore people are compelled to have medical facilities from District Headquarter from Civil Hospital and from private medical Centers at Turbat city. District Gwadar and Punjgoor patients if they would not find sufficient facilities in their respective Districts then they prefer going to Karachi but those who wouldn’t afford to go to Karachi they come to Turbat City.
People from different suburban villages like from shahrak, Sami, Bit, Solo, Koshk, Menaz, Pidark, Jamak, Gworkope, Hoshab, Sari Kallag, Kuddan, Kunchiti, Balnagwar, Tholagi, Nasirabad, Balicha, Tump, Gomazi, even from Mand visit Turbat daily through Private Transports (normally Pick ups) for their different need.
It is now known that from morning till 3 PM on Turbat’s Streets you would find all the visitors from Suburban towns doing commercial activity. These hours (from morning till 2 to 3 PM) are the peak hours of Turbat City’s commercial activity. People visit Turbat (from suburban villages and towns) for many reasons among the reasons the most important are to carry out different chores of life and shop here in bulk along with these, they come to get medical facilities, visit their main offices, attend court cases, and use Turbat City for further travelling into other cities by air and by road ways.
The District is mountainous by contour and majority of its Population is around the Kech and Nehing Rivers. This stretch begins from Hoshab (East side) to Mand (West side) known as Kech Valley. Mand is a town wherein Pakistani border meets with Iran’s border. The Tehsil Turbat and Tehsil Tump some 28 Union Council’s Population do locates at across the Kech and Nehigh Rivers, while the other 10 union councils which are in the two Tehsils known as Tehsil Bulladah and Tehsil Dasht are geographically settled away from banks of these rivers. The length of Kech Valley from where these two Rivers catches water is approximately some 250 Kilometers.
Climatically Turbat is a hot place, wherein temperature raises to some 48 degree Celsius in summer days. The winds blow here has a particular effect on the people mood and comfort. There is a wind known as goorich it blows from north bring dust and make the weather dry and make the skins of people to get dry and its effect on people mood is not good. The same wind in summer blows from direction brings heat waves locally known as Liwaar. The wind of southern direction (Zirgwath) is considered good because it brings a cool breeze and normally it has a soothing effect on the people moods. A wind blows from east known as Sargwaath it has also a soothing effect on people moods. While when the clouds are mounting there, so there is an understanding attached with this that this get prepare the clouds to rain. Along with these there is a wind known as Jahley, which blows from the west and brings dust with it.
In the Urban area there is averagely some 60 known (mohellah) Locality which are interconnected to each other. This process begins from Abser to Koshkallat while the Sarikahan is the part of city which is located across the Kech River. Kech Bridge interconnects the Sarikahan to the main city. Comparatively the Sarikahan is sparsely populated. The population of the Turbat city is estimated to be some 0.1 Million Plus. The physical infra structure is not developed yet and it doesn’t give an urban look, roads and streets in the city area is not blacktop as per some estimate 30 percent Roads and streets are blacktopped. The situation in the commercial area is different wherein the roads are blacktop but due to not being timely repaired seems frayed and broken from every few meter.
Health and Education Facilities are found comparatively better here but not up to the mark there is no private as well as Government Medical Hospital which meets the all needs of the patients from medicines to surgery care. This time there are some 5 medical hospitals which are catering the need of the City but there is a need that all diseases may be treated in the City.
For increasing facilities of higher education, Provincial Government has recently announced the Turbat University and a medical college. These institutes construction work is underway. However the University running with limited classes functioning since few years in a private building. Turbat city has no public library, Government has constructed a building for this purpose now its handed over to Turbat University but it is not functioning yet as a public library.
People consistent endeavors and use of different Arts form has a great role in development and socializing youth. In this regard Kech has historical precedence they are moderate people always leave space for discussion and learning. In this regard there are stories in the region’s past that there used to be a tree locally known Chinal under the tree people used to sit there for discussion and sharing information. Now the time is changed there are many demographic changes now is seen. In earlier time spaces and land was not an issue but this time there is no spaces for this purpose. In this time when the population is huge so a tree would not cater this need so there is a need of a public hall which may provide spaces for all kind of gathering and demonstrating messages through different Art forms.
It is a fact that the understanding about Arts in Kech is great because the embroidery work which is done on the women dresses that is done in every home. Girls learn making the embroidery on their dresses in early age therefore every home has Artisans. Along with this, the sense of creating crafts is strong there are various crafts of Pish works which are part of the Baloch society. This area needs the support of the Government to create an enabling environment so as these artisans and artists may be able to contribute in the development of the local economy.
Housing pattern of the area pictured that there is a trend to build RCC houses or with T Iron Girder roofing but a huge majority of the houses are still mud house/adobe homes. As per some estimates people started building these in the decade of 60’s. Before those housing patterns were different, those were built on some three patterns known as Kudic, Kul and Kargeen. The materials were used, that was wooden trunks, pish and mates with mud. The roofing was built they to be sloppy from each sides. These said houses still exist in many parts of District Kech.
Mud houses are built by mud bricks for roofing people use trunks and branches of date palms with local pish mats. But with the passage of time when people got known to T-Iron Girder later in the 80’s and early 90’s people opted to replace the local roofs with the T Iron Girder with cemented tiles roofing. There are a good percentage of houses which are built on this pattern their walls are built by mud and roofing is built by T-Iron Girder and cemented tiles. There is a characteristic of the local roofs mud houses (made up of Date palms trunk , branches, mates of pish with muds ) which absorb or resist the harsh weathers and maintain the inside temperature of the houses. The Mud houses / Adobe house need frequent repairing may this is the reason people would not find them economical and durable therefore they are keen to switch into the other forms of house. However it’s a fact that mud houses are weather friendly in all seasons.
Now trend is there to build RCC houses, but its cost is high those who could afford they prefer these houses. There is no particular architectural design of the houses. However it is a common understanding among people that the house front elevation may face the southern side. Because the wind blows in the summer get wind inside of the house. While those house which face the north often get dust in the winter. Mud houses give a look which are almost built on same pattern but RCC houses are being constructed that’s pattern is not same there is no commonality. However few experts understand those houses which are built and give a straight upright look from its entire dimension give out a regional look.
People are social, moderate, accommodating, hospitable and politically aware. The gender biases are not severe here as compare to the other parts of Balochistan, women literacy ratio is better in the city area. As Kech is not in the Balochistan tribal belt, therefore socially people are free to decide and use their political rights. And despite of few familial feuds there is no tribal feud in the region. Women mobility is not restricted but the cultural barriers are still mounting, women do not visit the city shopping centers, freely, and however there are some areas and markets which are nominated for women shopping.
The physical infra structure of the city demonstrate that the roads are narrowed, no sewerage lines network, no footpaths for pedestrians, nallas are not constructed and severely encroached, roads are encroached by the shop owners they put their goods outside beside the roads and there is no space for buyers to walk for that they use the cars lanes to walk for doing their shopping. Parks are not found in the urban area in the total urban area there is only one small (children) park that is located in the city area. Land wise all the zones are mixed up only the agriculture land and government offices are separated. Low-cost housing for labors accommodation is not an issue this time. But for future needs Government may need to allocate some land for this purpose.
Dates (locally called: nah, hormag) are the major crop of this area and the Makran region contributes Pakistan date’s productions 40% and in the sense of varieties and kinds of dates this area is rich. As per some estimates there are around 100 kinds of dates are available here. Among these kinds Bagum Jangi (in short BJ) is the major crop. Dates harvesting times are spread in three, duration i.e. early, mid and late dates but it is interconnected to each other. The season last for 3 months starts from early June to end in September. Along with Dates, Dry Dates (Harrag/ Choharra) are also produced of some kinds known as Mosathi and Aleeni. It is understood that as Date’s products worth a good value in international market, comparatively its earnings are less. Dates are produced in verities ways and techniques, but preserving dates in dates extract (locally known sheerag) is famous and common that is mixed with sesame (kunchith ) seeds. It is a popular understanding among growers that the bulk buyers who come from other provinces trick the local people through their agents and middlemen and obtain the dates in cheap prices. Through local people endeavors and the assistance provided by some NGOs the situation has somewhat got better, but it is not satisfactory. As per people that in the decades of 60s they used to exchange dates with fishes , but today the fish prices are more than 15 hundreds time higher than the dates.
This situation is predicted to be worst in coming days because this time the date palms biggest buyer is India that buys some 80 to 90% dates produces of Pakistan. In coming days the situation may get more worst because one Indian company has started this process growing dates in Rajisthan through tissue culture. And they have inaugurated the tissue culture center in 2012. So it is expected after some 5 to 10 years may be they would not buy the dates from Pakistan. This is the time our authority can think on this issue how they can support the growers.
The area is famous due to its many features like its location, existing of the Love legend Puno Fort (Meri Fort), its delicious date’s varieties, and Zikri Sect Ritual place (Koh e Murad) makes the Turbat to be known country wide, but since 1998 it is also famous due to recurring floods.
Since 1998 Turbat is being aired from every so often in print and electronic media due to hitting of catastrophes. When we discuss the history of flood, a flood happened on 3rd March in 1998 that had violated people’s houses at Koshkalat and lot of agricultural property and crops around its banks that destruction process started from Turbat to Dasht. Later a drought hit the area continuously for 8 years, given a big shock to livestock. It is understood that the live stock of the area reduced to some 50% low. After the 8 years drought another flood hit the areas of Ginna and Khairabad in 2005. The reasons were known due to bad planning of the Engineers; they couldn’t locate and properly designed the water courses before constructing roads. The destruction happened on NHA Road’s (Gwadar Rathodaro Moter Way) side and this also happened at some areas of Zubaidah Jallal Road. The flood hit on 26 June 2007 was biggest than all, it was caused by a cyclone known as yemyin , but the recently built Mirani Dam exacerbated the flood many times due to its bad design and overlooking the environmental Impact assessment.
In the context of recurring floods, historically, there are belief among people that this Area have received lot of Floods, and people understand that, the Tehsil Dasht’s Silt terrain is piled-up due to the flooding of Rivers. In this regard, people quote: somewhere in the past, there was a rain, which lasted for 40 days. In this regard there is a Balochi Song, which also mentioned about the flooding, it says that it is floating bride and bridegroom ornamented and in their costume, it floating babies having cradles in their basinet
Turbat City is a Tahsil of District Kech it is in Baloch belt, and Balochi Language is spoken here, people strictly observed the Balochi culture and customs. People are Muslim and the entire sect people are found here but the sectarian conflicts are not severe here.
Culturally and in daily life men wear Kamees Shalwar and Ladies wear traditional Balochi dresses known Shalwar Pushk. Ladies dresses are made only in the Baloch community. The Designing and embroidery is purely Balochi that is consisting of hand stitching that is done with a normal needle with the use of silk, wool and threads. One Ladies dress cost starts from 7000 to 60000 rupees. The ladies dresses are being made only for Baloch people. It has a great potential when it is modified and made for non Baloch markets.
Financially, majority of people are dependent to the agriculture sector growing vegetables, fodders and date palms. Along with agriculture, goats rearing, producing pish work products/mats and making Balochi embroidery on ladies outfits are the other common sources of livelihood. However, Turbat, being a commercial hub of the region few people have their own shops and businesses. A meager percentage of people are doing government jobs and a lesser percentage is working with private companies and in NGOs, Industries are not found here despite of few Ice factories and 2 flourmills there is no any other industry. It is viable that its economy may grow further but the sense is missing how to explore the new business. Some time earlier around 70’s due to foreign remittances the Makran region was known as very rich but this process has stopped when the Oman government whittled down the new recruitments in Omani Army. Local Artisans were not skilled in many areas of work, so the money which has been brought by the people from Gulf Countries soon went out of the area in the payment of skilled / technical laboring jobs.
Goat rearing is s profitable business but this time the government services are very limited. The outlets of them in different locality may function for the better health of animals and having them well-kept. So for this purpose any one who have need to take his/her animal for medical cure so there is no such vehicles which may provide this facility and renting a private vehicles is very costly and often they refuse to carry animals because the vehicles are not for this purposes. So the support is missing in this regard As per information in Absor area Government has allotted a land as a animal sale yard/ bakra piddi but that land needs to be developed so as that may be animal friendly and all the standards of keeping animals may be inducted there. In this regard people need a policy that may define the minimums standards of keeping animals and relevant resources may be constructed on that land to keep the business going with safety measures.
National level NGOs have started their work, here, in the decade of 90s. According to the Social Welfare Department (formerly community development) CBOs (community based organizations) commenced registering in the decade of 70s. This time in all localities there are registered community based organizations which have their presences but what is their function those are not functioning. In this connection regional cultural ways defined people are experiencing (the work of associations) different cooperatives Like Bijjari and Asher as cultural institutions, from the far past. Support in the form of Bijjari is received from relatives, and friends to meet the cost of wedding. For this the family who is going to plan a wedding calls his/her relatives for gathering this support. Asher is a cooperative people observe it for doing a bigger agriculture activity (than a normal routine work) like harvesting a crop, or making a hut and cleaning of Karaizes. Karaizes are cleaned through an institution is called Raj Kar, where in shareholder contribute a labor for the day to work on behalf of the shareholder or he himself join the cleaning and digging work of Karaize.
Non Governmental Organizations are registered through Pakistani laws, they have either one program as their identity or they have multi sector program like to impart awareness/ training, doing advocacy on issues and working as support giving /service rendering organizations. Most of the NGOs are dependent to foreign funding. For acquiring funds, most of the organizations opt for getting funds through solicited projects proposals while there are only three organizations which are national level NGOs they plan for their funding submit unsolicited projects to different donors. Gathering funds for their program through local philanthropy is almost equal to nothing therefore the organization opt for to get funds for different project which are announced by different Donors time by time . In this regard the organizations smooth going and building a campaign consistently for a change and development is not seen on the scene of development.
Kech is divided in 4 Tehsils namely Turbat, Dasht , Tump and Bullada. There are 32 Union Council of District; and there is one urban area that is consisting of some 300 Square Kilometer that is encompassing Sari Kahan to Koshkallat areas.
Irrigation Sources of Turbat city are Karaizes and tubewells but with the sinking down of water table lot of Karaizes have been dried away and few Karaizes have been violated by the reservoir water of Mirani Dam. There are few Karaizes which are still intact and due to Miran Dam Reservoir Water level of the Kariaizes and wells is increased. People are doing agriculture with sources of Tube wells, and Karaizes. After completion of the Mirani Dam in 2006, now Mirani Dam command area is being used as a source of agriculture, wheat, seasonal vegetables, now cotton is being grown there. The support from Government and other institution to agriculture sector is missing.
Some traditions /Systems and cooperatives:
Some old techniques: People used local ways to distribute water among shareholders, when the watches were not common, people had used local systems. In the day light they used to measure a person’s shade by footsteps. But in the dark they used a system locally known Thas o Thagar.
Along with Asher and Bijjari there are concepts , like when a woman of the needs to make a dress in a short period of time then they invite other women for doing embroidery work collectively that’s call is given known as Rochki .
In the month of Ramadan, Particularly in Sehri time, Naath Khwaan groups had used to sing Naaths and Hamd in mosques through using speakers to wake up people for the Sehri.
Traditionally, some time earlier Wedding invitation was given by people through word of mouth approach for that they used to go in a group door to door and read out the invitation in a loud voice. But these days the old rituals are now not being practiced Invitation Cards and Mobile phone facilities have replaced the old system of communication. When the ladies invite their relatives and acquaintance they would go in groups to invite the families. It is the part of culture, they would receive a money from the invitee in local language it is called Shaam. In earlier time inviters used to give-out a piece of Hina/ Hinny but with the passage of time this is not common these days. Giving invitation to female folks this is a common practice to go in groups, while male use invitation cards.
For supporting each other financially people use Bisthi (a committee) that is common here, in mohellas in offices in Schools and in Government office people use Bisthi to save and support each other in each other needs.
For the funeral announcement people use Mosques loud speakers to inform about demising of a person, and announcing the place and time for funeral. While for political gathering other speakers are used to inform people to participate in the gathering.
As shared earlier in this document that women dresses up traditionally, while men wear Kamees Shalwar. The outfit’s design is so the shalwar is wide. People use Balochi Shoes known as Chawat. Balochi attire will be complete with a chaddar (piece of cloth/sheet) hanging at one side of shoulder. People understand that they use chaddar for many purposes: like as handkerchief, as a mask to protect from dusts while travelling somewhere, as short (chirrk/lungi) for having a bath in a lake, and use as sitting in (known as Kamar Zani). The Kamar Zani concept is that normally in people gathering the chaddar is used to have back support to avoid fatigue and staying active while the procession of gathering is going on.
Balochi Weddings are unique, by their features and customs, normally close relative and friends would participate in the ceremonies. Wedding time period is consisting of some 7 to 10 days. In these days, people celebrate the weddings with Balochi songs, and dancing (dochappy) culturally. Hina is used in celebrating the different nights; gifts will be accepted from friends. After the Nikha, Bridegroom would stay at bride house for some days, and after 3 days bride groom take the bride to his home for one day to get her introduced with its in-laws. The expenses of the Balochi wedding are bear by Bridegroom family. In the weddings, support is accepted in kind (goats) and in cash that is known as Bijjari.
After birth, of a child, relatives gather for some 6 nights at new born parents house, sings songs of praising God and praising the new born and its mother, culturally this ritual is known Sifath.
Sports and Games:
There is a big list of Balochi indoors and outdoors games (lab o gwazi) which used to be played by girls and boys play at their court yard. Majority of local games were used to be played during night, under moon light, female folks along with the children used to play the games at night at the court yard of the houses, while men and youths opted to go out in the open areas playing various games. It was a time people took the games as entertainments and used them as tools of socializing youth and children to their culture and traditions.
Sometime earlier the Area was famous due to some sports of animals fight but , religious people were always critical to these sports like , cock fighting, bird flying races, sheep fighting, donkeys races, and bull fighting these used to provide not only an entertainment but people attachment with their animal was greater. Now the spaces may be a constraint to play those games and may be people taste of watching / enjoying games is captured by the modern games like cricket and football. Among the new games football is very much famous in Baloch community, along with this Cricket is played almost now in all communities. Sometime earlier Volley ball used to be very much famous in Urban and Rural Areas.
Local Games has their own charm, but due to shortage of space in communities those are getting obsolete. There is one game that is known Chuki that is still intact and played by men in some public places and when people gathered out side for a picnic party.
Policing and law and order situation is being maintained by the forces known as Police for the Urban area/within city boundaries while in the other areas another force known as levies which maintain law and order. The strength of police is consisting of some 634 personnel.
The city is providing the facilities of judiciary to the City dwellers and the people who are living in the suburbs and towns of District Kech. District’s and Session Judge, Judicial Magistrate and anti terrorism court is existing here. There is no labor court while banking court some time earlier used to be held here on the need. A Judge for this purpose used to come from Quetta to settle Cases.
All the scheduled Services run under provincial and Federal Government is functioning here. Few departments do not have their presence, like Accountant General Office branch, labor court, Transportation department, and railways are not functioning here. In Health and Education facilities Turbat is considered comparatively a better place, due to many private schools and English language centers which are functioning here. In the decade of 90s few individuals had started language centers for youth so as the youth may learn English as second language. These centers played a very good role in developing children speaking and written powers. Due to the said early endeavors many Students had shown extra ordinary performance in their University’s Education and they had earned a good name for Turbat. Its credit goes to those early efforts extended by few individuals, and due to that today their efforts are divided into many folds and they are a source of earning a good name for the District.
As for as the quality of services are concerned, the situation is not satisfactory, in health sector all medical surgeries are not being done, it appears that it is same all over the province, the departments of provincial governments are being run by the political pressure the sense and vision to render services to the public that is not there in some cases we see that is turned negative.
The reasons could be many why the government functions are not up to the mark, the abrupt (unplanned ) changes in the systems and switching and swapping into another has wasted many times to bring a one to be refined. But the army and political mingle is always there to decline the institutions. Many of our systems are not only failed to deliver but their role is turning negative for example agriculture department has a mandate to support the farmers but they are much more comfortable to support the middlemen and agents.
Communication and works Department: is known Building and Road construction at District Level as per the provincial government decision this department is now being divided into two entities one’s mandate will be to construct roads and the other one’s will be entitled to carry out building Construction work. But this work is not completed so as these both organizations may work independent organizations. This time Execute Engineer 1 is Responsible to carry out the Construction of Road while Executive Engineer 2 is responsible to construct buildings.
In the Government’s Services few departments are not working here like Accountant General Office has no branch here due to that people has to travel for their matters to Quetta and employees. Labor Court does not exist and due to that employee grievances would not be redressed timely due to those employees taken this all the process for granted. And due to this the function of the departments is affected. Transport department is not working and due that there is no public transport owned by Government.
continued…….
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