Zahiruddin
Chitral, July 6, 2026: Triggered by soaring temperatures, the rapid melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush mountain range has caused the Chitral River to swell to dangerous levels, resulting in widespread devastation across Upper and Lower Chitral.
The raging floodwaters have inundated several low-lying villages across the valley. The worst-affected areas include Yarkhoon Lasht, Phashk, Kargin, Sarghuz, Junali Koch, Charun, Upper Reshun, Shoghor, Bilphok, Ayun and Sheshi Koh.
In Charun village near Booni, the flooding has rendered three families homeless.
The surging river is also threatening vital transport infrastructure, raising fears that many communities could be cut off from the rest of the district.
Several jeepable and pedestrian bridges are at imminent risk of collapse, including jeepable bridges at Xupu, Arkan, Pawur and Khuzh in Yarkhoon sub-valley, Harchin in Laspur, Werkhop in Torkhow and Karimabad and Arkari, as well as six key suspension bridges in Sheshi Koh.
The floodwaters are also advancing towards the Chitral-Mastuj Road. If the road is breached, it will completely sever the land link between Upper and Lower Chitral.
In addition to damaging infrastructure, the floods have washed away the diversion structures of irrigation channels serving numerous villages, creating an immediate drought-like situation for agriculture.
Without functioning irrigation channels, farmers risk losing their standing crops, raising concerns over food insecurity and worsening poverty in the affected valleys.
Residents have urged the district administration and disaster management authorities to reinforce vulnerable riverbanks and rescue stranded families before roads are cut off by the rising waters.
Rivers, streams flooding, houses, roads damaged across Chitral