CHITRAL, Oct 21: Rock blasting has emerged as a major reason behind the fast disappearance of Kashmir markhor in Chitral.

Already suffering from illegal hunting, food shortage and diseases, the mountain goat is fleeing the area due to loud explosions by unrestrained dynamiting of the rocks alongside Chitral-Garam Chashma Road near Toshi game reserve.

Miraj Ahmad Khan Mughal, a wildlife activist of Seen village bordering the game reserve, told Dawn on Friday that locals were blowing up rocks in Chitral, especially near Toshi game reserve, to get stone for construction of houses and roads without let or hindrance.

“Kashmir markhor goes to high altitudes in summer and comes to low altitudes in winter but frequent stone blasting at low altitudes coupled with illegal hunting, unlawful grazing by goats and frequent outbreak of diseases has forced it to spend most of the time staying at high altitudes to the detriment of its life,” he said.

Mr Mughal said the count of Kashmir markhors in Chitral was currently estimated at around 300 and had more than halved in the past two years.

He said the wild life department had formed three committees for the protection of the endangered specie but they had closed their eyes to its plight, adding the department, too, was least bothered about it.

The wildlife activist said he contacted the relevant provincial authorities for corrective measures but was also given the cold shoulder.

He warned that Chitral would soon have no Kashmir markhor if its illegal hunting, rock blasting and goat grazing continued.

LOWARI TUNNEL: Provincial population welfare minister Salim Khan on Friday thanked the prime minister for approving Rs2 billion for resumption of work on Lowari Tunnel project, saying it will bring prosperity and development to Chitral in particular and other parts of the country in general by providing a short route to the Central Asian states.

The minister told a news conference in Chitral that a PPP government had begun work on the tunnel in 70s and that work would be completed by its another government, the current one, before completion of its term.

He said work on the tunnel was stopped due to change in its design and now when the exercise was over, work would be resumed shortly after the approval of funds by the central development working party.

SAFE DRINKING WATER: Social organisers of Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) on Friday said they were committed to providing the people of Chitral, especially those living in remote areas, with safe drinking water.

During a function at Muzhdeh village of Beori, Chitral, Salahuddin and Tariq Ahmed said locals were forced to use unsafe drinking water after the last year's flashfloods.

They said SRSP had begun a project in the area to provide safe drinking water to its residents with the funding of a UK-based NGO, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.

The two added that work was underway on drinking water schemes in over 10 union councils of the district on the basis of community participation.

Representatives of the villagers, Haji Sharif Khan and Umara Khan, thanked SRSP over provision of safe drinking water.