Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has directed to conduct a comprehensive survey of district Chitral in order to identify flood-prone areas, the vulnerable basic infrastructure and other facilities so that sustainable measures could be planned to protect such areas and facilities from natural calamities.
Terming the ongoing flash-floods in Chitral more dangerous he said that despite un-accessibility to the remote flood-hit areas and certain other difficulties, the provincial government, in collaboration with Pakistan Army, was following a strategy to mitigate the sufferings of the affected population and also repairing and rehabilitating the devastated infrastructure.
Talking to delegation of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf in Chitral on Saturday Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said that flood affected roads and bridges were being repaired and rehabilitated on priority basis in a bid to restore the communication link of the affected areas with Chitral.
He said collaboration of Pakistan Army has been sought to carry out the communication rehabilitation work on war-footing. Pervez Khattak further told that he had also fixed short and long-term damage repair targets for the provincial government departments and relief agencies and mobilized them fully to achieve the targets. He said that reconstruction work of three main damaged or washed away roads had been handed over to FWO and the partnership between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and FWO for this purpose would not only pave the way for early rehabilitation but it would also ensure durability of the roads.
He told that in view of the expected more rains and flood warnings, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has put on alert all the relevant government machinery to combat any emergency situation. Emergency funds amounting to millions of rupees have also been placed at disposal of district administrations and relief departments, he added. Expressing his deep grief and sorrow over loss of precious human lives in Chitral's floods, the Chief Minister assured that surveys were underway for ascertaining the losses of private properties. In response to the problems presented by the delegation he announced up gradation of the District Headquarters Hospital of Chitral and launching of 1122 Rescue Service in Chitral adding that under new health policy the DHQ Chitral will also enjoy autonomy which would ensure availability of all necessary medical facilities and medicines.
Referring to the empowerment of the people at local level under the local government system, Pervez Khattak informed the delegation that in addition to self-generated financial resources already available to Chitral local government, the provincial government would also disburse an amount of 900 million to newly elected councils of Chitral. He asked the PTI workers and the common people to help the provincial government for nabbing timber mafia for which they would be rewarded under a new law.