ABOUT 10 years ago, I had contributed a letter to these columns about the indis-cretion and incompetence of the local administration of Timergara in Lower Dir district regarding the dumping of waste, including medical waste, into the Panjkora River. The practice has not only continued, but has also gained momentum over the years. The administration has actually established a slaughterhouse near the river, and now floods it with animal entrails. One can only stand in awe of the intelligence and professionalism of the administrators.

One fails to understand where and on whom to pin the fault. Is it collective myopia, professional incompetence, personal indifference, absence of external accountability, or the overall culture of indifference that is destroying the precious river?

In the backdrop of climate change and water insecurity, the destruction of the river does not augur well for the country and the coming generations. The world has been emphasising the worth of every single drop of water, while we are wasting away a whole river.

A decade is a long time to realise the folly of one’s decision, or for some higher authority to hold the decision-makers responsible and accountable, but nothing of the sort has happened all this time.

Izhar Ud Din
Lower Dir

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2025