Daily Times

CHITRAL: Children and women hailing from Kalash tribe of Chitral staged a peaceful protest demonstration against the provincial government for not reconstructing roads damaged by flash floods in July last year.

The protestors demanded of the provincial government to pay due attention to the reconstruction of roads and other infrastructure destroyed by floods in 2015. The children and women registered their protest in a peaceful manner outside their place of worships in Kalash Valley.

A social worker, Shahi Gul, and local government representative, Maleet Gul, while leading the protest demonstration said that the residents of the area have repeatedly requested the provincial government to reconstruct these roads and rebuild the power house but in vain.

“Neither damaged roads have been repaired nor the electricity system has so far been restored entirely,” said Shahi Gul. She said that the damaged and bumpy roads caused blockade of traffic jam due to which people of the area are confronted with a difficult situation.

Maleet Gul said that an application was submitted to DC Chitral for repair and reconstruction of their worship place as well as for spending development funds in upper areas of the district but he took no action so far. She said that no reconstruction and rehabilitation work has been done in Kalash area since last year floods hit the district.

Meanwhile, the officials of irrigation and communication department of Chitral have declined to comment on the issue. It is worthwhile to mention that roads, pipeline, irrigation channels, micro-hydro power houses, bridges and other infrastructures damaged last year by flood but no rehabilitation work have been completed until now. The protester alleged that the provincial government have approved Rs 230 million for channelisation of Bumborat nullah but the contractor did not working on the same as the two excavators were out of order and the irrigation department took no action against him. The protestors said that in case of second flood, the valley will be damaged on large scale due to de-siltation and channelisation of canal.