The villagers returned to find the main irrigational channel swept away destroying agricultural prospects for as long as the channel is not built.
Gul, a poor farmer of the area told The Express Tribune, “We are being completely ignored by both government and non-government organisations.
They say there is no relief or aid for the farmers for now even if they have lost their all.”
He said he was a tenant of the landowner, totally dependent on the produce of the land.
Unless the irrigation channel is restored by government organisation or some philanthropist and the mud
and sand cleared from the fields, they would not be able to grow anything and would starve, he added.
Another farmer of the area said that, “Dozens of NGOs come here for providing relief and distribution of food and non-food items to the flood affected people but whenever we ask for help, they tell us the relief package is only for those whose houses have either been destroyed or inundated.” He added, “Although the ratio of our loss is far greater than the others as our standing crops, the only source of our livelihood have been washed away leaving us on the mercy of Allah.”
Shah Wazir Khan whose house was washed away in the floods said government needed to demarcate the
lands without which farmers could not identify their
fields and start farming activities again.
He said the farmers had no money to begin anew. They needed government help to rebuild their lives and their homes. The most urgent need was to repair the irrigation works and the water supply system.
Shilmani, a local advocate, told The Express Tribune that the major problem was the construction of the protection wall against the stream flowing along the village.
Until that was done more than 300 households would remain threatened.
The local administration was paying no response to this urgent need. When Human Rights and Development Organisation of Swat was contacted, they claimed that the local government was in the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The retaining wall would be built soon. The farmers will be given seeds and fertilisers by the government. There was no need to panic, said the NGO.
Moreover dozens of non-government organisations are also in action to help restore the destroyed irrigation channels across
the district.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2010.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ