Unsettling premonition: Fearing disastrous rerun, villages along Swat River evacuated

Sole bridge connecting Utror to the rest of the district washed away by water.

KALAM: Several villages located along Swat River were evacuated on Tuesday and their residents shifted to safer locations in Kalam after the river overflowed, said Swat’s Deputy Commissioner Syed Imtiaz Hussain.

According to locals, the water washed away a bridge in Utror which connected the area with the rest of the district, while stretches of roads in Utror and Kalam were also swept away.

“The bridge was our lifeline, connecting us with the rest of Swat. We are once again cut off. It would be another disaster if the water level increases any further,” said Ismaeel, a social activist in Utror, via telephone.



“Residents of several villages vacated their houses after the water entered their homes while many families are migrating to safer places,” explained Nazir Rahee, a resident of Kalam.

Thousands of tourists have already reached Kalam, while many others were planning to spend the summer in the valley. However, they are now leaving and cancelling their plans because of the possible threat of a flood. “Kalam Bazaar and other tourist spots wear a deserted look,” added Rahee.

The river’s water has also entered the bazaar, washing away some parts of it. Dozens of shops have been flooded, destroying valuable goods. Moreover, the river water has inundated agricultural fields and orchards.



“Tourists and locals are using Tehsil Bypass Road to move to safer areas,” said Attaur Rehman, a shopkeeper. He added the people are terrified of their previous experience of the July 2010 flood and fear a repeat.

Swat River’s surging waters have damaged protection walls and the makeshift bridge connecting Khwazakhela and Matta tehsils. “To avoid any casualty, the local administration has closed the bridge to any traffic,” said Sajjad Ahmad, a resident of Matta.

Some parts of protection walls of the only bridge connecting Matta tehsil with Mingora have also been damaged, he added.

Residents of Utror and Kalam appealed to the government to take timely steps to save them from the expected disaster. These two areas were also one of the worst affected in the July 2010 floods.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2013.