Misplaced priorities herald agonizing winter for flood affectees

As the flood-affected people are reeling from the destructions brought by the floods, they have other worries, including the main issue of how to cope with the severe coldwave that would hit the area as the winter is round the corner. On the other hand, the government and private organizations have done nothing for the rehabilitation of the flood-displaced people except handing the families of those who lost their lives in the flood post-dated cheques worth rupees 100,000 each family. Hundreds of people whose houses were completely destroyed in the floods are still living in tents and with relatives on the hope of getting the rupees 0.5 million compensation Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promsied to provide to them during his visit to Chitral in July so that they can make a two or three room shelter for their families before the start of the snowy season. A cleric from Chitral living in Karachi thought more prudently to provide some types of shelter, including blankets, to the flood-affected people realizing the difficulties they would be facing in the winter. But the government and its departments are still sitting idle and remain unmoved about the rehabilitation of the affectees in Chitral where winters are always harsher to endure. As the flood-displaced people are all set to spend the winter in tents, the KP government seems more interested to implement the announcement of PTI chief Imran Khan to establish a university and the chief minister’s promise to open a 1122 office in Chitral. These are indeed good initiatives for teh whole area but should not be the number one priority in terms of rehabilitating the displaced people. Some of the people who still have intact lands are trying to rebuild their shelters before the start of the cold season while those who are left with nothing are looking towards the government, NGOs and well-off people to help them to reconstruct their houses or get settled somewhere else. People living in tents told ChitralToday that even with the start of September, nights had become cold in the tents and women and children were contracting clod-related diseases. People here are of the view taht the government should give priority to the rehabilitation of teh affectees and fulfil its promise to provide them monetary assistance so taht they can manage some sorts of shelters for themselves before the start of teh winter season when it would be not possible to launch any construction work.]]>