CHITRAL: High flood in the Chitral River has rendered scores of people homeless in the upper parts of the district and posed threats to many others.

Local sources said that floodwater inundated several villages in different areas of the district including Garam Chashma and Kalash valleys. They said that rise in the temperature during the last two weeks caused melting down of glacier that could become dangerous if the situation remained the same for a couple of days.

Sources said that the flood rendered scores of families homeless in Green Lusht, Reshun, Junali Kotch, Awi Lusht, Sarghooz and Chuinj villages in upper Chitral. The valleys of Arkari, Karimabad, Lot Koh and Kalash were also hit by the flood, they added. People in the low lying areas have started vacating their houses to shift to places of higher altitude. A number of non-governmental organisations have rushed to the affected areas to help the displaced families. The river water has changed its direction towards the building of district jail near Chitral City at Denin village. The Chitral-Booni Road, in front of the district jail, has also been affected by the flood.

In several areas, villagers have exhumed the old graves of their relatives to transport the remains to the graveyards in safer places. According to local people, several of the graves are centuries old.

The residents of Denin village fear that flood water can wash away the grain godown of food department, a colony of government servants and a private housing scheme.

The floodwater also poses threat to the roads leading to Kalash valleys of Bumburate, Birir and Rumbur. The tourism industry will face immense losses if the roads are blocked.

Meanwhile, MNA from Chitral Shahzada Iftikharuddin has censured the provincial government for delaying release of funds for reconstruction of disaster-hit infrastructure in the district.

Presiding over a meeting of the officers of public works department the other day, he said that the government didn’t erect protection walls along the river in the working season that could divert the floodwater.

Published in Dawn, July 254th, 2014