Forest dept urged to complete river protection wall

MASTUJ: Forest dept urged to complete river protection wall in Chapali.

The residents of Chapali village have called upon the forest department to expedite work on construction of an embankment to protect its newly-planted saplings along the bed of Yarkhun river near their village.

Talking to ChitralToday, the residents said a delay in completion of the protection wall could lead to washing away of the saplings planted under the government’s tsunami programe last year as the volume of the river would be increasing soon.

One of the resident also requested to increase the length of the protection wall so that agricultural land of the locals could also be protected against flooding in the river.

The residents said work at the site progressed at a snail’s pace with two of three labourers without any machinery.

They said the area people had approached the officials concerned but no progress was made.

When contacted on phone, District Forest Officer (DFO) Shaukat Fayaz Khattak told ChitralToday that the agriculture department was to provide a design and cost estimate for the protection walls in different parts of Chitral.

He said due to the lockdown the offices of the agriculture department were closed and hence the delay.

He said he would direct the range officer of Booni to make temporary arrangements for protection of the saplings.

Later, the range officer of Booni told ChitralToday that he would get the cost estimate from the agriculture department to get funds for the completion of the project.

He said he has directed the site guards to make temporary arrangements till release of the funds for the embankment.