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| April 26, 2007 | Thursday | Rabi-us-Sani 08, 1428 |
Rebuilding Balakot still a dream
ISLAMABAD April 25: Rehabilitation and reconstruction of Balakot - the beautiful historic town of Hazara, NWFP, devastated by earthquake on October 8, 2005 - seems to be a far cry even after the passage of one-and-half years and the affected people continue to suffer from an unending wait for a better tomorrow, this scribe discovered during a visit of the area.
The local population had been promised of a brand new town to be built 20 kilometres beneath the old town but this promise could not be fulfilled. The dream to rebuild Balakot has not come true so far.
It is intriguing that the affected people have been paid two instalments of the promised compensation while the remaining two have been withheld saying that the amount would be released at the time of allotment of residential plots in the proposed new town.
The various government organisations seem confused and it is yet not clear if the houses in the new town would be built by the would-be owners or the government. Although President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had said that the government with help of international NGOs would build the houses.
While other quake-hit areas are returning to normalcy in some way, Balakot is still limping showing no signs of restoration of the destroyed edifice including social welfare installations and official buildings in their old shape. The makeshift hospitals, police station and civic bodies tell the story of apathy. Even the irrigation and drinking water facilities have not been restored.
This scribe found the affected people helpless and hopeless about their future. Many of them expressed their anger against the ‘tactics’ of the government-owned relief agency - the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra).
About 4,000 shelters were promised to be provided to the homeless people by December last but Erra could not provide the shelters during the chilling winter, the people complained.
Residents of Balakot town boycotted the Saudi shelters for being ‘sub-standard’ whilst about 10 per cent affected people were compelled to accept them. There is complete uncertainty whether the rest would be able to get their share of the promised shelters.
The Zari Taraqiati Bank had recently waived small agricultural loans - up to Rs50,000 - but the local traders do not come under the relief plan. Similarly, about 2,500 to 3,000 local traders, who reportedly could not get a penny in compensation from the government, are running from pillar to post to get their economical strength back. A traders association was formed in the area which negotiated with the USAID a grant of Rs320 million. But when the amount was about to be transferred to the traders association, the Erra came in its way and stopped the payment. “Erra is not ready to budge up a bit,” they said.
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