Flood-hit people of Brep hold another protest

BREP (UPPER CHITRAL): Hundreds of people held a protest gathering here again against non-rehabilitation of local residents displaced by the glacial lake outburst floods of last year, and lack of basic facilities in the whole valley up to the last village of Yarkhun. 

This was the second protest held by the residents of the flood-devastated village within a week.  The protesters on the occasion also blocked the Yarkhun road for many hours.

Addressing the gathering, the speakers complained that despite making promises the government and non-governmental organizations had failed to take steps to protect the remaining parts of Brep from being washed away in GLOFs as summer was approaching.

They also criticized the government for its failure to provide basic facilities of life, including healthcare and education, for the inhabitants of Yarkhun of which Brep is the largest village and has been affected the most by GLOFs.

Since 2007, glacial lake outburst floods (GOLFs) in one of the two streams have washed away at least 60 percent of the village, rendering hundreds of families homeless. Last year, the floods again hit the village obliterating more houses and land.

Most of the displaced families live with their relatives while others have no other option but to stay in squalid tents in the flooded areas.

Moreover, the floods filled debris on the pathway of the stream, endangering the remaining parts of the village, especially on the right side of the nullah.

The areas in the village so far safe from the flooding are now vulnerable to it. These areas include houses, markets as well as the basic health unit (BHU), newly-built Jamat Khana, one mosque, a godown and three government schools, local people told Chitral Today.

The participants of today’s protest said if the government and private agencies further delayed the dredging of the nullah and rehabilitation of the affected persons, the locals would block the main Yarkhun road for an indefinite period. 

They demanded that the government should fulfil its commitments made last year to save the village from further devastation and also ensure basic facilities in the area.