PESHAWAR: Save Chitral Movement, an association of various political and civil society organisations, has blamed timber mafia for the recent flash floods and soil erosion in the district and demanded probe into the matter to award exemplary punishment to the people responsible for the destruction.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, former MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali said that some influential people were involved in ruthless cutting of forests in Drosh tehsil and Arandu sub-tehsil. He said that the subsequent denudation in most of the areas caused the devastating floods, washing away people, livestock and land properties.

Flanked by representatives of various organisations and localities, the former lawmaker suggested that the government should specify a particular area where the farmers could graze their animals to avoid forest cutting for commercial purposes.

Expressing his shock over the delay in payment of compensation to the affected families, he said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had promised to pay Rs0.4 million for each destroyed house, but the provincial government was issuing cheques for Rs100,000 only, which had been creating doubts in the minds of the people.

Former MNA seeks probe into ruthless cutting of trees

He rejected the government’s announcement to waive the agriculture loans in the flood-hit district, saying that the beneficiaries were only the rich and influential people while the common people had got nothing. He alleged that an influential group in the district had links with the banks and it was in the habit of getting their loans written off every year. “We want an inquiry into the loans case so that the actual affected people could get the advantage,” he proposed.

The government, he said, should compensate the people who had lost fruit orchards, shops, houses and their vehicles in the recent floods as they had no other source of income and many of them were displaced and living in temporary camps.

Mr Chitrali pointed out that about 80 per cent of the district was affected by the floods and the students were unable to pay their admission and tuition fee. He said that the government should ensure free of cost education to the students for four years so that they could continue their studies.

He said that the government should establish a separate residential colony for the displaced people in Qaqlasht grazing field farm. He also demanded supply of clean drinking water in the affected localities. The former lawmaker urged the government to ensure speedy work for restoration of communication system by rebuilding the bridges and roads.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2015

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