Baala Deh

1. Community demographics

According to key informant interviews conducted with local authority figures, there are approximately 750 households with 5200 people in Baala Deh. The village is comprised of Tajiks and Pashtuns with Tajiks forming a slight majority. Both Dari and Pashto are spoken with Dari being more common. Key informants did not think there was an IDP population in the village. There are approximately 15 households who are returnees from Pakistan who own their houses, with the possibility that more people return to Baala Deh in the future. It was considered very likely that most people in the community will still be living in Baala Deh two years from now.

2. Community geography

The village of Baala Deh is located on mostly flat ground, with one part of the community located on more hilly terrain. The neighbourhood lies north-east of Gardez city centre and to the east of Gardez Airport. There are four big streams that people in the area access for irrigation (not for energy), the general stream, Joye Baghal, Joye Jangle and the Joye Gardez. The neighbourhood lies on either side of the Chamkani-Gardez Highway. It is more densely populated in Upper Baala Deh, but many of the households lie amongst the orchards, gardens and farmlands. Most of the houses are made from mud with a limited number made from concrete. Non-residential buildings include the main mosque, two schools and bigger buildings in the village bazaar. The nearby clinic lacks good doctors, medicine and medical equipment and also lacks female doctors for pregnant women.

There is no piped water in Baala Deh and most people use hand-pumped potable water wells which were dug by the National Solidarity Program (NSP). Approximately 4 in 5 people use water from these wells, while the other people in the community use karez water (a type of well where water flows from a primary well to secondary and tertiary wells).

3. Economic profile

The majority of the village work in agriculture and horticulture. This work is seasonal, with little to no work during the winter. Some community members work in the public sector and some work in the military. Some people work as daily wage labourers in the construction industry. School teachers usually teach part of the day and farm for the other part of their day.

4. Energy profile

Baala Deh is not connected to the grid but a DABS representative said the area should be connected in the near future. Almost the entire neighbourhood use stand-alone solar panels on their roofs. Approximately 1 in 5 community members combine their solar power with diesel generators. The solar panels provide enough energy to power lights, a television and a water pump for the potable wells.

The majority of households use wood in mud-brick ovens for cooking, and firewood for heating. The wood can be bought but also taken from the surrounding lands. Some households use LPG for cooking.