Affected Reshun residents in double trouble: PPP

CHITRAL: The people of Shader in Reshun who have been affected by the river erosion are now in double trouble.

The river eroded houses of about 12 families along with the only road connecting lower and upper Chitral districts early on June 12. It also washed away small agricultural lands owned by the locals.

To add insult to injury, now the remaining lands of the locals have been leveled and crops bulldozed to make way for the traffic between the two districts.

Speaking at a press conference here today, PPP upper Chitral leaders Amir Ullah and Abu Lais Ramdasi called upon the government to take urgent steps to mitigate the problems faced by the displaced families and those whose lands were either eroded by the river or used for the alternative road by the government. 

They said it was a tragedy that so many families had to see their houses and other belongings eroded and washed away by the river with no government department coming to their assistance.

The people who have been partially affected by the river erosion or by construction of the alternative road through their land also need immediate rehabilitation as they do not have the means and resources to cope with the situation.

The also said that the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) had floated tenders for construction of protection walls in many parts of Upper Chitral but Reshun was not in its list.

They called upon the agency to immediately launch a project to protect the village from further damages.–Muhkam Uddin Ayuni