Chitral sees no let-up in flood devastation

CHITRAL: Rains on Friday continued to lash various parts of the district as a man was swept away by floodwater in Ayun village while several houses were damaged in the Kalash-inhabited villages.
Reports said that flashfloods triggered by heavy rains inundated a number of houses in Rambur and Bamburet.The locals said that 46 houses and a bridge were destroyed Balim village, eight houses in Reshun village, 50 houses in Mojgol village and 25 houses in Rambur.
It was reported that two houses, a shop and agriculture land came under floodwater in Bamburet, the biggest village of the Kalash people.Some reports said that 50 houses were swept away in Metor village in Garam Chashma area.
Locals said the floodwater washed away the recently repaired portion of the road linking Rambur with Bamburet. The local people had built the damaged portion on self-help basis. The flooding played havoc in Reshun, Brans, Gigar and Nisoor. However, no loss of life was reported.
The Pakistan Army using helicopters rescued tourists from Bamburet and transported them to Chitral city. The National Highway Authority has opened the Drosh-Chitral road to traffic at Bronz village. The Drosh-Chitral road also links Chitral to Peshawar.
Meanwhile, provincial Minister for Information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said that efforts were underway to repair the damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure in the flood-hit areas in the district.
Briefing reporters at Chitral airport about the relief activities on Friday, he said the provincial government would not rest until the flood damaged infrastructure was repaired. Mushtaq Ghani said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister had been in Chitral along with half the members of the provincial cabinet to oversee the rescue activities and provide relief to the flood-stricken people.
He said the secretaries of all the departments were also present in Chitral to coordinate efforts to resolve the problems of the affected people. He said the upper part of the district would soon be linked to Chitral town.
The minister said all the roads, irrigation channels, watercourses, roads and bridges would be built. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Reham Khan visited the flood-hit areas in Chitral along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.