Staff Correspondent
BOONI: An early warning system installed at Booni Gol in Upper Chitral reportedly failed to function during this year’s flood emergency, raising concerns among local residents about the maintenance and operational readiness of disaster-management equipment.
Local resident and social activist Salamat Khan Booni said the system was installed with the support of international donors through institutions associated with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in December 2021. The system was intended to provide timely warnings to communities in the event of floods and other natural disasters.
He said such systems are designed to alert residents at an early stage and help them move to safer locations before a disaster intensifies.
According to Khan, however, the system installed at Booni Gol did not issue any warning, sound or signal during the recent floods. He alleged that no effective maintenance or operational activity had been carried out on the system this year to ensure its readiness.
Khan said the area was included in the emergency disaster response, but questioned why adequate measures were not taken to make the costly early warning system fully operational during the emergency.
He urged the relevant authorities to investigate the matter and determine why the system failed to operate when it was most needed. He also called for regular inspection, testing and maintenance of early warning systems installed in vulnerable areas of Upper Chitral.
“Saving human lives during natural disasters should be a national responsibility,” Khan said, stressing that equipment provided through humanitarian and development programmes must be properly maintained and used for its intended purpose.
He said failure to maintain such systems could undermine public confidence in institutions working on disaster preparedness and community welfare.
Khan urged the concerned authorities to take immediate notice of the reported failure, restore the system and establish a mechanism for regular testing before the next flood season.
He further called for responsibility to be fixed if an official inquiry establishes negligence in the maintenance or operation of the system.