Former Tehsil Nazim Chitral, civil society and residents of Chitral on Monday announced to launch awareness campaign Save Chitral Save Pakistan (SCSP) movement and make the people aware about possible damages from torrential rains and flood.
The melting of 543 glaciers in Chitral indicated to wash away the whole district in near future and also created a menace for other parts of the country particularly Nowshera and Charsadda of KP," claimed Sartaj Ahmad Khan, the nazim and Nadir Khwaja, the General Secretary of CJF while addressing a news conference here at press conference on Monday.
Giving details of the destruction of the district Chitral, it is owing to torrential flood, started since 16 July 2015 up to, they informed that from Upper Tehsil to Dameel Nisar were included ashrait, Janjar, Yar Khon, Ursoon, Kesu, Shishi Koh, Madak Lasht Klusht, Dervesh Town, Ayun, Bomboret, Rambor (Kalash Valleys), Chitral town and others.
They maintained that thirty six people had been washed away while hundreds of homes swept away, roads towards villages within the district, bridges and linked bridges were pushed into rivers by the flood flowing with heavy stones and timbers for last several days. He added that the people of Chitral are mostly depended on their agriculture lands, which were eroded and the trees of different dried fruits were swept away by the flood.
They said that due to erosion of the lands and damaged homes, the people of Chitral particularly of Bomboret, Rambor, Birir, Reshun, Garam Chashma, Kuragh, Brep and other parts were compelled to take shelter in upper areas of the valleys in tents while the destroyed villages were not remained able for living.
They further said as all connected roads were cut off and the food stuffs finished, the stranded people were now facing starvation like situation in devastated valleys, he added that watermills, private mini power stations, springs were also rooted out completely, therefore, he demanded of the federal and provincial government to provide all food and non-food items including water on emergency basis through helicopters.
Other demands were that Chitrali people be bestowed with 30 percent megawatt from 129 being produced from Golan Gol free of cost in order to preserve forests, which were denuded by the locals for firewood. The royalty of the forests hundred percent be given to the forested areas while preservation of the forests is be through local people, he said.
They continued that royalty in head of Corbin Finance Funds allocated by United Nation (UN) be made double for the forested areas and force comprised of 500 men be appointed for forest plantation campaign so that the local people could be provided jobs as well as conservation of their forests. The former nazim said Chitral be given water rights and depot of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and Sui Gas be established in Chitral adding that as per feasibility prepared by Small Medium Entrepreneur Development Authority (Smeda), there are resources of coal in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which costs less than firewood. They also demanded for shifting forest depot to Chiltral from Chakdara.
Movement of Save Chitral Save Pakistan (SCSP) will be extended to other parts of the country while second phase, people of Nowshera will be informed through press conferences about possible destruction of the district in next some years, Sartaz said. If the demands of the Chitralis were fulfilled then not only Chitral would be saved but also Nowshera and other parts of Pakistan.
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