Glacial outburst threatens Chitral villages

CHITRAL:

Two Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) have been recorded in Rabat Goal area of Lower Chitral district in the past two days.

These floods resulted in flooding of the local nullah which washed away forests and even embankments as well as a religious building of the local Ismaili community called Jumat Khana.

The flood also damaged a large portion of the road thus cutting off Verak valley from the rest of the district.

These floods resulted in widespread panic among the local communities who fear for their lives and properties.

Chairman Community Based Disaster Risk Management Committee Abdul Karim told The Express Tribune that there was a high flood in the local nullah which has put their entire village at risk. He demanded immediate steps to avoid any disaster.

He demanded that a protection wall should be constructed across the village to save it from any disaster.

He said that embankements were under construction but the process was very slow.

Hundreds of years old glaciers lying on the mountains of Arkari valley formed a lake which burst and caused flooding.

The GLOF also closed the Arkari Road due to flooding in the valley, but locals helped restore traffic. No casualties have been reported due to floods in nullah in Arkari, however, the floods have damaged agriculture land and orchards of the local people.

The road was temporarily closed due to floods but people of the area restored the road on selfhelp basis.