![\"sher\"](\"https://www.chitraltoday.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/sher-215x300.jpg\")
In 2006, Sonoghur was flooded. In 2010, Brep endured worst flooding of Deh- Brep, while the catastrophe of this year, again, badly flooded Brep, Reshun, Muzhgol, Saht, Shoghor, Murdan, Zhitur, Oyon, Buburat, Broze and Drosh. The floods not only killed about 40 villagers, left hundreds homeless, destroyed cultivated fields, orchards, and oldest trees and houses of historical importance, but also further posed the remaining parts of these villages to annihilation (God forbid) by changing the streams’ courses. These villages, in particular and the rest of Chitral, in general, invite a very prompt and serious attention of our government and international philanthropic communities planning protection strategy on war-foot basis.
I have also heard from some responsible locals that there is foretelling of a certain NGO about a very horrific situation of Chitral by 2030. They say that by 2030 all the glaciers of Chitral would be melted, completely and cause destruction to most of the villages through flooding, while the areas saved from flood would be destroyed by drought. This forecasting has, vehemently, scared the local people. Glaciers melting and bursting accidents of the last nine years confirm the above horrendous news of disappearing of this earthly paradise from the map of Pakistan, by 2030, and the thought sends shivering currents of terror through our nerves. It is not because we would be deprived of our beautiful birth place, but if the glaciers got dried, the whole country will turn in to a barren (God forbid). It is not that only the glaciers of Chitral are melting speedily, but of the GB’s, as well. Chitral and Gilgit Rivers (main tributaries of the Indus) flow from these sources of ice deposits.
I am further convinced to believe this verbally circulating news when recall the sizes of our glaciers of the past 33 years. Here I would like to mention Pech-Uch Glacier at Broghel when I first closely examined it in 1982, in a visit to the valley with a medical team of the Aga Khan Health Services, Pakistan. The width of Broghel-stream flowing alongside the glacier was less than 100 feet from its other side and its height was more than a hundred feet vertical blue-ice-wall. In 2014, when I happened to see it again, I could not believe my eyes. The waterbed had expanded to more than 300 feet while the gigantic blue-ice-wall had shrunk to a slope of brownish earthen structure. I was extremely shocked watching the scene. The same position was of other glaciers of Broghel.
Though global warming is the main cause of flooding, but we cannot reject excessive cutting of mountain woods and unbridled goat-farming with the cheap services of Gojrs. The villagers have doubled their number of goats plus the shepherds’ goats, added by unrestrained cutting of fire wood have left nothing but loose soil on the slopes of mountains and hills, vulnerable to erosion..
The situation is too serious and needs timely measures to save our water sources and wildlife.
]]>
Sher Wali Khan Aseer Sahib has very rightly and timely called for our attention towards the gravity of the imminent danger to our beloved soil of Chitrar.We can not afford to waste time any more.We need to immediately start an awareness campaign with the slogan,” BUCH KOSI YA JANNAT CHUTYO BUCH KOSI.”This campaign shall focus on replacing goat-farming with the sheep-farming and banning the Gujor services.The awareness campaign shall involve all the available forums including MASJID and JAMAAT KHANA.Awareness walks can be arranged by organizing village comittees.I would like to request ASEER SAHIB please to come forward and organize a ” CHITRAR BACHAW TEHREEK ” at the district levels by contacting all the retired senior people.My services are at his disposal all the times.I would also request him to write a ” TARANA ” for our beloved Chitrar,highlighting dangers to the beauty of Chitrar.It will be helpful in grabbing public attention towards our campaign.
I enjoyed reading the perspective of Janab Aseer Sahib and would like to expand his perspective concerning the role of goats. As river and floods erode more lowlands, people’s capacity to raise cows will also be eroded. People will be forced to raise more goats, which graze on highlands. More goats, more deforestation and more floods as identified by Sir Aseer. Thus is the danger of a vicious circle exists and the unfortunate pessimism about the future of Chitral is a real one.
What is the right approach to avoid the catastrophic future and turn it into an opportunity? The famous Andrew Carnegie has a principle – “each adversity has an equivalent hidden benefit” and we must learn to extract the benefit.
But are we ready for that? The hidden benefit is the potential power of the river Chitral and we must control it and train the river to be our best friend instead of being our ferocious enemy. I presented an outline of the innovative strategy earlier for dialogue. It can be accessed at this link: http://www.slideshare.net/tariqullahkhan/chitral-developmentproject-22234675
If we can recover land from the river and train the river to behave in a friendly manner, the Chitrali farmers will be able to raise more cows and the reliance on goats will be reversed, and the deforestation and flooding can be controlled on sustainable basis.
Thank you Sir Aseer!
This is the right as well as the high time for local community, newly formed local government system and for Non Government Organization stakeholders to think over GLOF and Flash Flood that is continuously destroying the beauty of Chitral, residential houses and the landed property of farmers. No doubt stopping of overgrazing by goats shall definitely stop or reduce these damages to a greater extend. I personally see that community is accepting the overgrazing by goats is one of the main cause of floods in their areas and, therefore, have reduced keeping goats now. This is also seen that Gujurs keep their large number of goats with local goats. We need to initiate a move towards this issue initiating large scale campaign throughout Chitral motivating the people to stop keeping goats and instead keep sheep, cows with developing fish farm side by side. I personally suggest our district government to study the movements of our past leaders of Chitral Muslim League making Chitrar an independent Chetrar. Opinion makers of Chitral should give time to think over it. The people of Chitral especially the youth should view it and analyse the letter of learned Sultan Wazir published in Chitraltoday.net a month back.
Thank you for highlighting this important, and potentially destructive issue.
Deforestation in addition to global warming is, undoubtedly, lethal. And this is high time that our government works on this modifiable risk factor,wisely and timely.
It is easy to plan everything sitting in your Drawing rooms. Have any of the commentators have ever tried to implement that in Chitral. We Chitralis are not as good people as we portray ourselves, we have divided ourselves into Sunni& Ismailis, Sarhadi and Shahri, Zondray and Syeds, Lal and Ghalamus. Whatever we plan these things come across and hinder our progress. Apart from that we are na shukurs we have everyting in Chitral and we still say ” pisa afo roi ayashia asumia chitrartu ki zindagi sher, mo khurutu behchawur ki” we should be thankful to the lord for what we have and live like brothers.
Says the guy who uses Sangal in his name.
Both Sher Wali Sangal and ali shahpar are correct!
Why ? a guy with Sangal name Cannot have feelings? Is it false what i am mentioning.