MIANWALI: Nothing is being done to ease the plight of residents of the Namal valley who have been affected by hill torrents .

Talking to Dawn about the situation in the valley, Malik Attar Khan, a local social worker, said the infrastructure had been badly damaged and almost all the main and link roads had been washed away. He said the main road of the Namal valley from Ban Hafiz JI, Sakesar, known as Defence Road connecting Mianwali Airbase to the PAF installations at Sakesar, was destroyed at different places. The bridge at Dhok Karsial had been washed away by the hill torrents.

The other damaged roads include Dhok Miana-Pira road, Dhurnaka-Namal, Chah Ugral-Main Road, Bhir Shah Nawaz-Dhok Ali Khan and Chakda-Dhok Ghazi Khan.

Mr Khan said the roads must be restored for easy movement of flood affected people, alleging that the district administration had established the flood relief camp in the building of Union Council Namal which was beyond the reach of the affectees. Moreover, he added, the politicians had influence in the relief camp and they were distributing relief goods among their relatives, friends and favourites instead of actual affectees.

Malik Zafar Iqbal of Tammaywali, former union council nazim, said the Namal lake water also played havoc in its surrounding areas by inundating the fields. He revealed the lake was filled beyond its capacity and water was overflowing the dam which showed the failure of irrigation department. He alleged that millions of rupees were being spent annually on the repair of Namal Dam by the irrigation department but its gates could not be opened to release the excessive water, hence the water was overflowing the dam. He demanded an inquiry by Chief Minister Inspection Team (CMIT) into the utilisation of funds for the dam.

Said Ali Shah, the president of Namal Welfare Society, urged Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to provide free machinery to farmers to restore their agricultural land that had been inundated by hill torrents, compensation to the affectees for collapsed houses and crops while declaring the valley a calamity-hit area.

Mianwalii Irrigation XEN Rashid Khan told Dawn Namal Dam was constructed in 1913 and it had completed 50 years of normal life of a dam. He denied charges of closure of gates and termed the water overflow from as dam as the spillway effect. He further said arrangements were underway to supply pipes at Namal Dam to drain out the water through siphon system which would decrease water level in the lake.

Mianwali District Coordination Officer (DCO) Talat Mehmood Gondal said the administration had decided on Friday to complete the survey of flood-hit areas in the district within 24 hours and to supply flood relief goods, including food hampers, flour bags, tents, mosquito nets and mats, at the doorsteps of each flood affectee from today (Saturday).

The DCO further said distribution would be made transparent according to the survey report and without political influence. He said a flood relief camp with medical team and veterinary doctor had been established at Chakda for Namal Valley.

Mr Gondal expressed the resolve to redress the grievances of Namal Valley within days, saying the arrangements were being made to restore the infrastructure and rehabilitation process in flood-hit areas of district.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2015

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