Trail of destruction: Chitral landowners say govt yet to rehabilitate flood-hit areas

Ayun, which saw heavy inundation in July, is flooded again

CHITRAL: Mild floods in Ayun area of Chitral have begun again. The district will see a fresh spate of damage as it has still not been able to recover from heavy inundation that occurred in July and then the impact of the destructive earthquake on October 26. Locals say negligence and indifference on part of the government meant hardly any rehabilitation took place in the area post July.

According to Wajibuddin, his farmland had drowned when dams over flooded in July and he has no fields left for business. “My livelihood is ruined and many other people who engaged in farming are still unemployed,” he said.

Wajibuddin added the government was not serious about providing any assistance to them.

Sardar Ahmed told The Express Tribune his house and lands were washed away in the summer floods and he had no source of income left to sustain his family. He added inundation in the future could lead to the destruction of the entire village.

Locals demanded the government sanitise the dam when water levels are low and provide villagers with an alternative means to earn an income in the meantime. They said they were waiting for the government to clean the dams in order to prevent further damage to their remaining land.

Chitral Irrigation sub-divisional officer Muhammad Ali told The Express Tribune a PC1 has been drawn and arranged for the sanitation of dams which will be presented to the irrigation secretary. “The construction work will be started within a month,” Ali assured.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2015.