CHITRAL: The recent heavy snowfall, which has broken record of the last 74 years, has brought life to a standstill in the district as it has confined half million dwellers of Chitral to their homes for more than four days.

The offices of government and semi-government organisations and markets remained closed for fifth consecutively day on Tuesday as roads couldn’t be cleared of two to five feet snow.

Hasil Murad, a resident of Kushum village, who served in Chitral Scouts in British-era in 1940s, told this scribe that it was in 1941 when the valley had received snow of such scale and people had been confined to their homes for two months.

He said that hundreds of people in different valleys of the state had died when their houses caved in and many others died due to severe cold and shortage of food.

People confined to homes for more than four days

Some of the people had contracted diseases due to cold weather, he added.

Out of the 36 sub-valleys, more than 10 have lost contact with the rest of the district as roads leading to those areas have been blocked by gigantic snow avalanche and boulders.

The sub-valleys of Baroghil, Golen, Melp, Khot, Madak Lusht, Rumbur, Birir, Jughur Gol, Jinjirait Koh, Ursoon, Aspar, Arkari, Murdan and Gobor are said to be the worst affected.

District nazim Maghfirat Shah, when contacted, said that the whole district was facing logjam due to the heavy snowfall. It was not possible at that time to assess the magnitude of the disaster, he added.

The nazim said that owing to closure of roads across the valley and collapse of telecommunication system, the process of assessment of damage could not be started.

“It will take several weeks to open all the roads to traffic owing to limited resources in terms of funds and machinery. I have demanded a sum of Rs200 million and 10 bulldozers from the provincial government,” he added.

Mr Shah said that situation in the isolated valleys would deteriorate in the coming weeks when food stored by the stranded people would run out.

He said that famine might grip the valley while certain diseases might break out due to severe cold.

Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding of Pak Army Division Swat, Maj Gen Ali Amir Awan visited Shershali village in Karimabad and distributed relief items among the people affected by snow avalanches that claimed 10 lives and rendered 25 families homeless.

Mr Aawan gave away Rs100,000 each to the heirs of the dead and assured the affected people of all out help and support to mitigate their sufferings.

Published in Dawn February 8th, 2017