Work to remove snow from Garam Chashma road is underway[/caption]
The valleys of Garam Chashma, Torkhow, Mulkhow, Yarkhun, Kalash and Mulkhow are still disconnected from the rest of the district. These areas have been worse hit, where damages to infrastructure are as high as in the Shershall village.
However, the local administration, the army, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (formerly FOCUS Humanitarian) and other NGOs are trying to meet the challenges.
It is crystal clear that even the developed countries cannot build up complete protection against natural calamities but taking preventive measures before and quick response after such disasters can keep the losses to a minimum.
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A tractor is clearing a link road in Zait[/caption]
Additional Assistant Commissioner Chitral Syed Mazhar Ali Shah in a recent social media post stated: “Restoration work at Garam Chashma road from both Shoghore and Garam Chashma side in progress and the C&W department has mobilized all possible resources.”
Talking to ChitralToday, Village Council Nazim Khosh Muhammad from Garam Chashma said, “We had a meeting among six UC nazims on Sunday to discuss the recent crisis in the valley. We also talked to AAC Mazhar Ali Shah who assured us of further assistance.”
He said machineries of the C&W department were working at different points to clear the Chtiral-Garam Chashma road. The nazim appealed to the government to compensate the people for their damaged houses and clear the roads to their areas.
Besides, people of the valley appreciated MPA Salim Khan for his presence in the crisis-hit area in the testing time.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the district, local government representatives were busy clearing blocked roads of snow by using private tractors.
The army helicopters made a number of sorties to the Broghil and Torkhow valleys and provided essential food items to the stranded people. They also airlifted stranded people, including women, children and patients, from Chitral to their home villages and in remote areas to the Chitral town.
The snow in most parts of Chital has not even started melting even though the weather remained sunny. However, stones and boulders started falling from the mountains into the Chitral-Mastuj road at different points, especially in the south of Kuragh.
There have been complaints about a shortage of food items and medicines in different parts of upper Chitral as loaded vehicles are yet to reach the areas from the Chitral city.
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