No lesson learnt: Village devastated in 2010, still vulnerable to flooding

Locals appeal for immediate construction of a flood protection wall.

SWAT: The government seems to have learnt no lesson. Two years after Swat witnessed large-scale devastation by floods, villages along the bank of Swat River are still vulnerable to flooding due to absence of protection walls.

Villagers in one such small village, Ningolai, are fearful that their entire village will be swept away next time there is flooding in the river.

“We need a protection wall urgently. Even a small flood will wash away what is left,” said Zakirullah, who lost his house to the 2010 floods.

Ningolai was among the villages most affected by the floods. Besides agricultural land, dozens of homes were swept away. To date, victims have received no support from the government. “They [the government] have announced several relief packages, but we haven’t received any help at all,” he said.

The river has changed its course since then and is flowing through the village, putting nearly 130 houses that survived the flood at a risk of being swept away.

Zakirullah said the villagers have formed a group to keep an eye on the river every night.

“Our main concern is to change the river’s course flow back to its original course,” said Baidar, a local elder. He added that the tide rises in summers and water enters their houses. “We asked for assistance from our elected representatives but all our requests have fallen on deaf ears.”

Though the government has constructed a wall in the village, the people are not satisfied. It is not only incomplete, but is also built from substandard material, said villagers.

Shaukat Ali, a farmer, recalled the devastation that the 2010 floods caused. “When the flood hit the village, we were only able to save our lives. We appeal to the government to pay attention to this issue. A [proper] wall must be constructed to protect the village from future floods,” he said.

Rehmat Ali Khan, the Member Provincial Assembly from the area, said a proposal for protection walls has been prepared and work along the Swat River is expected to start “soon”. “People are not ready to offer a single inch of their land for the wall’s construction,” he said, adding that he will meet the villagers individually to redress their concerns.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2012.