PESHAWAR/DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Monsoon rains and flash floods killed five people and damaged houses, bridges and roads in Lower Chitral and South Waziristan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that two women were killed after the roofs of their houses collapsed in Birmal tehsil of South Waziristan due to the downpour.

The Lower Chitral administration said that three people were killed after being washed away by flash floods in Shishikoh valley of the district. It said all bodies had been recovered.

Barenis Gol area of Lower Chitral district recorded heavy flooding, which destroyed irrigation channels, water schemes, bridges and agricultural lands. However, no damage to public life was reported.

Houses, roads and crops damaged to misery of residents

Also, Upper Chitral district’s Reshun Nullah, Pasum Gol, Chuinj Payeen, Parkushap, Khuz Payeen and Brep villages were flooded.

The PDMA said the downpour-induced flash floods destroyed water schemes and irrigation channels in the area. It added that flooding in Khuz Nullah destroyed many houses, irrigation channels and water schemes.

The people of Khuz area said that flash floods destroyed 18 houses forcing their residents to move to mountain for fear of more floods. They flayed the district administration’s ‘failure’ to come to their rescue and relief.

Floodwaters also caused widespread damages in Chuinj area and suspended traffic on the Yarkun Road in Pasum Gol and Shano Gul areas. They also restricted access to Chuinj area from Pasum Gol.

The calamity paralysed life in Dera Ismail Khan district’s Paroa and Daraban tehsils wiping out many villages and damaging roads to the misery of the residents.

The flash floods from Koh-i-Sulaiman mountains wreaked havoc in Daraban Kalan, Chodhwan, Musa Zai Sharif, Prova, Makarr, Ramak, Babar Kachha, Babar Pakka, Jhuk Chandna, Jhuk Tilkan and Bharki, Kirri Shamuzai, Fateh Ali and Khui Bahara areas. Hundreds of houses were damaged, crops destroyed and the cattle perished in dozens of villages, while traffic was suspended on several flooded roads.

The floodwater inundated the Prova grid station causing power outages across the tehsil. The Wapda officials reported damage to machinery and power breakers on the premises. They said the restoration of breakers would require several weeks for repair or replacement.

The officials said that they had yet to find out whether the floodwaters had damaged power transformers and if the damage was detected, the residents would suffer from prolonged power outages.

The residents said that the devastation caused by flash floods to houses, lands and sources of livelihood had forced many families in Prova and Daraban tehsils and adjoining areas to shift to safer places.

They criticised the elected representatives and district administration over ‘failure’ to ensure the rescue and relief of flood victims.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast more rains in parts of the province for Sunday (today).

It said that Kakul received 53mm of rain, Balakot 24mm, Mirkhani 23mm, Patan 16mm, Lower Dir 13mm, Upper Dir 8mm, Malam Jabba 9mm, Drosh 3mm and Chitral city 2mm during the day.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2022