Flood protection walls: Jirga demands completion of project

SWAT:

Elders of Barikot have condemned the Irrigation Department for stopping work on protection walls around the Swat River, putting the population living along the river and their only source of livelihood — small agriculture lands. They made this demand at a grand jirga here the other day.

Barikot Tehsil is a junction connecting Swat with Buner District and Malkand Agency.

Last year’s floods wiped out 80 per cent of the agricultural land and also harmed its population severely. Fearing future threats from the Swat River, elders of the area have demanded that the government construct protection walls along the river.

“Last year’s floods destroyed us by washing away our agricultural lands and inundating our houses,” Taj Mohammad Khan, an elder of the area, told the Express Tribune. But we have not been supported by any organisation, he regretted.

“Although we are close to Mingora, we have been neglected by the government. Our rural areas are still without electricity and 70 per cent of the local population have no access to clean drinking water. I do not know when the government will heed to our grievances,” said Fida Muhammed Khan, another elder of the area.

Locals also criticised non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and said that since the floods hit Swat valley, hundreds of NGOs flocked into upper Swat while the rest, particularly in Barikot Tehsil, remained neglected.

Notably, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa MPA Waqar Khan had approved Rs40 million for the construction of protection walls here.

“But the project has been left incomplete,” said Fazal Akbar Khan, adding that with the rising water-level, there is a great threat to the houses and lands of the locals.

The Jirga unanimously passed a resolution demanding of the government to resume work on the protection walls so that their houses and land could be saved from another disaster.

Unfortunately, when the irrigation department was contacted, they refused to comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2011.