KARIMABAD (LOWER CHITRAL): Rocks falling on a village from a mountain in this scenic valley of Lower Chitral have not only endangered the life of the inhabitants but also caused damages to the only link road and private property.
Local people told ChitralToday that rocks continuously falling from a cliff of the mountain into the Madashil village totally damaged the house of Muhammad Azad. The rocks also damaged three new shops of Rustam Khan that were ready for renting out.
Forest and fruit trees owned by Rehmat Sli, Rehmat Wali and Rustam Khan and others were also damaged, causing a loss of millions of rupees to them.
There was no causality as people living in the vulnerable area had already shifted to safer places.The road to the area has also been blocked as a huge boulder fell on the road.
The locals said the rocks continued falling from the cliff for many days but yesterday its intensity increased and it also created a panic among the residents.
Elders of the Madashil village told ChitralToday that disintegrated and lose rocks from the cliff were falling after rain/snowfall and due to earthquakes. They said the cliff of the mountain could be removed for ever by blasting to protect the village. But the local people have no funds or expertise for it.
They said in 2016, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) had started work on it but the project could not be completed.
The locals appealed to the government, civil society organizations and political representatives to play their role in tackling the issue to protect the life and property of the residents.