Missing ‘link’: For Ramait, 2010 floods are not a thing of the past
Bridge connecting village to the rest of Swat valley unrepaired since three years.
Nearest route to cross the river is a foot bridge in another village two miles away. Most schools are across the river and children from Ramait have to walk the distance to get to the other side. PHOTO: EXPRESS
SWAT:
Villagers in Ramait often carry the living and bring back the dead. The village lying on one side of the Swat River is disconnected from the rest of the valley, and with no hospital in the area patients have to be waded through the water. Many people do not make it to the other side.
The floods in 2010 which caused widespread devastation in the country and displaced nearly 20 million people washed away a bridge connecting Ramait to the rest of Swat valley. What was a lifeline for 3,000 households in the village remains unrepaired nearly three years after.
“People have to be taken to Bahrain or Saidu Sharif for treatment. We carry patients on our shoulders to get to the other side of the river, but people in critical condition often do not survive,” said a resident Mohammad Syed.
Ramait falls in Union Council Mankyal, nearly 75 kilometres from Mingora. Residents have appealed to government representatives to reconstruct the bridge, but no such effort has been made as yet.
We’ve been left stranded since the bridge was washed away, said Shabbir, 50. “We have to walk more than two miles to reach the other side of the river. It seems we live on an island, disconnected from the rest of the world.”
The nearest route to cross the river is a foot bridge in another village two miles away. Most schools are across the river and children from Ramait have to walk the distance to get to the other side. “We always reach late for school and come back in the evening. Many of our friends left school after the bridge collapsed,” Mohammad Tahir, a seventh grade student told The Express Tribune.
Ramait is also known for its vegetables production. Vegetables, including turnips, potatoes, cabbage and peas, would be transported from the village to markets around the country, but the supply too, has been suspended since there is no transport route.
“Majority of the people here are farmers and it was a good production site for vegetables especially off season, but after the bridge collapsed, we stopped large scale cultivation,” said Khan Saib, a social activist.
When the government did not reach out to help, in October last year residents installed a manual cable car to carry on with daily activities. But the chairlift was not strong enough and fell in the river, killing seven people, recalled another resident Haji Gul, adding “We are treated worse than animals.”
Bahrain sub-division Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Naeem said the issue has been raised on various forums. “I have contacted many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as the government. Soon a construction of a hanging bridge by an NGO will be started on. Tender for the bridge has also been advertised so I am hopeful that soon the problems of the villagers will be solved.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2013.
Villagers in Ramait often carry the living and bring back the dead. The village lying on one side of the Swat River is disconnected from the rest of the valley, and with no hospital in the area patients have to be waded through the water. Many people do not make it to the other side.
The floods in 2010 which caused widespread devastation in the country and displaced nearly 20 million people washed away a bridge connecting Ramait to the rest of Swat valley. What was a lifeline for 3,000 households in the village remains unrepaired nearly three years after.
“People have to be taken to Bahrain or Saidu Sharif for treatment. We carry patients on our shoulders to get to the other side of the river, but people in critical condition often do not survive,” said a resident Mohammad Syed.
Ramait falls in Union Council Mankyal, nearly 75 kilometres from Mingora. Residents have appealed to government representatives to reconstruct the bridge, but no such effort has been made as yet.
We’ve been left stranded since the bridge was washed away, said Shabbir, 50. “We have to walk more than two miles to reach the other side of the river. It seems we live on an island, disconnected from the rest of the world.”
The nearest route to cross the river is a foot bridge in another village two miles away. Most schools are across the river and children from Ramait have to walk the distance to get to the other side. “We always reach late for school and come back in the evening. Many of our friends left school after the bridge collapsed,” Mohammad Tahir, a seventh grade student told The Express Tribune.
Ramait is also known for its vegetables production. Vegetables, including turnips, potatoes, cabbage and peas, would be transported from the village to markets around the country, but the supply too, has been suspended since there is no transport route.
“Majority of the people here are farmers and it was a good production site for vegetables especially off season, but after the bridge collapsed, we stopped large scale cultivation,” said Khan Saib, a social activist.
When the government did not reach out to help, in October last year residents installed a manual cable car to carry on with daily activities. But the chairlift was not strong enough and fell in the river, killing seven people, recalled another resident Haji Gul, adding “We are treated worse than animals.”
Bahrain sub-division Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Naeem said the issue has been raised on various forums. “I have contacted many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as the government. Soon a construction of a hanging bridge by an NGO will be started on. Tender for the bridge has also been advertised so I am hopeful that soon the problems of the villagers will be solved.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2013.