CHITRAL: The residents of Ayun village and the Kalash valleys of Bumburate and Rumbur have complained that reckless blasting and cutting of rocks for the construction of a road has filled the stream with a huge amount of debris, threatening their areas with potential flooding in the coming summer season.

Chairmen of Ayun-I village council Wajeehuddin, Ayun-II Mohammad Rahman and Bumburate Maulana Khalil Ahmed told reporters here on Saturday that National Highway Authority, which was executing the project, was totally oblivious of the standard operating procedure for preserving the area’s delicate environment.

Flanked by other residents of the valleys, they said the reckless blasting using large quantities of chemical fertiliser for cutting the hills was causing boulders, splinters and other debris to fall into the stream.

They feared that such a large amount of debris could block the stream’s path, causing floods and forming lakes.

Expressing their deep apprehensions of the imminent floods during the forthcoming summer season, they said the downstream villages, including Ayun, would be inundated when the stream would be in high flood due to the melting of glaciers.

The local body members said the newly-constructed road would itself be washed away by floods if debris was not removed before the rise of water in the stream, and in such case.

They said in such a situation, the Kalash valleys would be disconnected from rest of Chitral and hundreds of tourists would be stranded.

They also feared environmental disaster in the area as the stream was known for its rich population of trout fish, which are susceptible to contaminated and soiled water.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2024