One billion demanded for the rehabilitation of Chitral

Via One Pakistan - Peshawar , The Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa (KPK) Minister for Population Welfare Saleem Khan demanded of the provincial and federal government to start relief works in the far-flung valley on emergency basis and allocate one billion rupees for the rehabilitation in Chitral.

He also appealed to donor agencies, provincial and central governments to provide relief to the flood affected people of Chitral at emergency basis to avoid starvation in the valley. In a press conference at press club on Wednesday, he regretted that the district Chital was a backward valley which has been affected like other parts of the country as communication system including main Chitral Buni Road, 36 bridges and other roads which connected villages to the main town had cut off. He said that nearly 0.3 million people had stranded as the communication system had completely damaged while no relief from the government have been provided by now.

The minister, who belongs to Chitral, said fifty six government’ s constructed and two hundreds private water channels including a big water system from Garam Chashma, which fulfilled the need of water of Chitral town had washed away in the flood. The Garam Chashma water project, he said it was a German project and made some ten years back estimated of Rs 200 million had completely damaged while the Chitralis women brought water from far-flung areas. He said Ayun water channel had also damaged while ten persons had swept away and six sustained injuries. Saleem Khan further said Kalash valleys also cut off from Chitral town as there were no metallic roads towards the valleys earlier but after the flood the muddy roads washed away and the residents still tranded.

He said power also had suspended in the chitral town for last 12 days and small power generators and watermills had washed away in flood. The minister for population said Chiralis mostly depended on agriculture and grew potatoes and some other vegetables which they themselves used and also export it while the flood washed away all the standing crops. Regarding Chakdara Bridge, he said it was the main road which connected Lower Dir, Upper Dir and then Chitral but due to the damage of the bridge in the flood, the entire three districts had cut off from the province. He added that the delivery commodities as well as lubricant of such as petroleum, diesel and kerosene oil could not be made possible which led to sever crisis. The minister demanded of the provincial and federal government to start relief works in the far-flung valley on emergency basis and allocated one billion rupees for the rehabilitation in Chitral.