It may be noted that 70 houses were completely and around 20 partially damaged when the July floods struck the Muzgol village. The villagers also lost their household valuables besides shops as a market of the village located along the bank of the Muzgol stream was also washed away. When the flood hit the village, the residents ran to save their lives and reached the barren land of Qaqlasht as there was no safe place to live at that time.
Talking to ChitralToday, a retired Subedar of Chitral Scouts, said that the displaced people of Muzgol had no other option but to live in the Qaqlasht plateau without the basic amenities of life such as drinking water and electricity. He said the local administration even did not bother to provide drinking water to the displaced people. Besides, none of the officials of the local government ever visited the flood-hit families living in the camps.
Children living in the camps are forced to fetch water on their shoulders from far-off areas while the women have to collect firewood and prepare foods under the open sky.
Some of the children said that their schools and books were also washed away by the floods and they were unable to resume studies while living in the Qaqlasht area. There were also reports that most of the children in the tents frequently fell sick due to harsh weather conditions and lack of basic facilities. Frustration is also increasing among the children as they cannot see any prospects of returning to their village and restart studies. Some people also feared that the children might be facing psychological issues if they remain abandoned in the tents without proper care.
The displaced people complained that the promises and announcements about monetary assistance and their rehabilitation made by both the provincial and federal governments as well as the elected representatives remained hollow while the miseries of the flood affectees continued increasing. They said if the government did not change its callous attitude, the flood-hit people would have no other option but to launch a protest movement for their rights.—With reporting from Bashir Hussain Azad
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