Sometimes natural calamities are a blessing

Any natural phenomenon at the end of the day always brings something good in terms of more awareness amongst the people on how to deal with calamities. Some disasters are man-made which needs long-term response to check and tackle them.
The heatwave that hit Karachi recently and caused the death of over 1100 people was also due to man’s failure to maintain natural environment and non-existence of trees and greenery. These man-made challenges have further caused destruction to our environment and people living in Pakistan. The pollution in city areas has also caused other environmental challenges.
The over-grazing in pastures of Chitral and over-use of those factors which minimize natural calamities, caused floods in some areas of Chitral. Due to the flashfloods in Charun, Kuragh, Kosht streams is the example of over-using natural habitat. The shepherds in Chitral still burning juniper trees for their domestic and commercial use, is destroying the natural trees and plants in Chitral, has badly affected our environment.
Chitral Heritage and Environmental Society (CHEPS) for the last many years has been working to protect the environment in Chitral. I am personally thankful to the environmentalists in Chitral in carrying out CHEPS mission and protecting the heritage of Chitral.
We are happy that the government of Pakistan is responsive to the problems of Chitral. We are thankful to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Governor KP for their arrival to Chitral personally visiting the flood-affected areas and giving flood relief to the affected people. We are grateful to the KP government for taking initiative in building environment. I would suggest that plants should be planted in Chitral which the government of KP has started in protecting natural environment, but it is very important that these traditional ways of plantation should be considered for durable results in future.

Rehmat Ali Jaffar Dost
Chairman CHEPS

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