Urgent issues of Chitral which need immediate attention
Shahzada Siraj Ulmulk[/caption]
CHITRAL: If the current spell of rains does not cause more damage to our fragile infrastructure we will consider ourselves lucky. But we will not be able to depend on luck in future. Urgent work needs to be done for the following items otherwise the majority of the people of Chitral will suffer even more in 2016:
1. The Garam Chashma road, the roads to Bumboret and Rumboor and many portions of the Chitral-Mastuj road are in a precarious and pitiable condition. These were extensively damaged in the floods and earthquake five months ago but, apart from temporary measures taken by the FWO, no serious effort has been made to build them to any specification.
2. The main pipe of the Angargoon water, which supplies precious drinking water to most of Chitral town, can fall and break any day. After it was damaged in the last floods it lies suspended on dry-stone pillars which had been built hurriedly as a temporary measure and then left there for lady luck to help them hold the pipe.
3. The beautiful villages of Reshun and Greem Lasht (not Green Lasht) are being squeezed by the river on one side and the flood waters and debris from the mountain on the other side. If you care to to go to these two villages any day any time, you will need no one to convince you that disaster is looming over the lives of the people who live here.
I have no doubt that in our district there will be many other places where infrastructure needs urgent attention. Chitrali people and friends of Chitral please use forums like Facebook to bring them to the attention of people who are in a position to do something about them.
These are no small matters. None of the items I have mentioned can face another flood. And rest assured another flood with more intensity is coming this year.
In the present scenario, it has become incumbent on all our NGOs to convince their donors to donate all future monies to these items. In fact, they should go a step further and convince them to restructure their present commitments in a manner that will divert funds to these requirements.
At a time like this, it will make no sense to the people of Chitral if money is spent on workshops or embroidery classes.
There is calamity in Chitral. Whether the federal or the KP government does not declare us as a calamity struck district it will not lessen the severe strains under which we are living here. On the other hand, if Chitral has been declared a calamity hit district,we are not seeing urgency in the way our government is going about to set things right.
All of us, including our media, must not only play our part to highlight the looming natural and manmade dangers around our beloved district but also play our part, even if it be a small bit, to help put things right.]]>
second Post That Needs Urgent attention is about Kalash-
and Our Efforts,,
https://www.change.org/p/secretary-general-of-united-nations-help-preserve-kalash-a-tribe-in-pakistan-for-united-nations-protected-site#invite
why are you all Not Talking about The Cause of this Massive Destruction via Floods in The Kalash/Chitral areas, the Biggest destruction was due to FREE FOR all Jungle cutting of the Cristine Valleys Full of Trees,
Timber mafia took over from the Holy Jehad that we supported and How Easy it was for the Super powers to IMPOSE Sanctions on Mumlikat e Khuda -dad -E-Pakistan,
Do some thing FEB is Gone, every-body wants Rishwat (bribes) to work in the areas of Chitral,District Division,, even to plant Trees, European Nations gave contracts for doing development that did not Include Kalash as labour,
The area is Held as Hostage from ACROSS the borders threatening the Peaceful People who has never heard of CRIME,ONCE we were Proud of Chitral Hospitality now we read Complains from Foreighners that it is a Big Rip Off, in the North-especially in private TOURISM GROUPS, DEAR FRIENDS OF CHITRAL put your House in Order first,, Make us all Proud,ONCE AGAIN,so Tourists can return to Kalash/Chitral,,AMEEN SUM AMEEN-I dont want to Indulge in any answwr,as i Run a page on HELP PRESERVE KALASH BASES on FB-
The points raised by Siraj sahib are of great importance and of grave concern, serious thought is required on the part of the district council,tehsil council and other civil society organisation.The district council should play a leading role in facilitating the efforts of different NGOs organisations in Chitral.Vaccume is created when there is a lack of coordination among different organisations and some times duplication of efforts.With sound plannig at district level by different organisation and preferably under one umbrella organisation would greatly help in addressing the natural calamities in Chitral. God helps those who help themselves.Another points pointed out by Siraj sahib is that those who have access to internet face book,twitter or any other source of media should be shared with those who believe in human help in times of any natural calamities or disaster.The precautionary steps are of great importance to deal with any type of natural calamities.Because if there is head there is headache.
Nizar Ali Shah
Harchin Chitral
@SajjadKhaliq: Dear,It is not an arbitrary conclusion on my part, Just draw your own Conclusion from below details.
No. F.2 (E)/2016-NOMA (Gen)
Government of Pakistan
National Disaster Management Authority
(Prime Minister’s Office)
ISLAMABAD
7 March 2016
Subject: Seasonal Outlook for Spring and Early Summer 2016
A copy of Seasonal Outlook issued by Pakistan Meteorological Department for Spring
and early Summer 2016 is enclosed for information / necessary precautionary measures,
please.
Major
For Chairman NDMA
(Imran Rafique)
Tel. 051-9205035
Fax. 051-9205086
Seasonal Outlook for Spring and early Summer 2016:
Prevailing oceanic, atmospheric and surface climatic conditions suggest that uncertainties in Pakistan’s weather pattern will persist towards the early summer till the El Nino comes to neutral phase in May – June 2016.
Outlook for the next three months has been prepared based upon regional and global weather condition incorporating the climate system dynamics. Following are the highlights of weather in spring and early summer;
• March and April are expected to be wetter than normal. Frequent spells of rainfall and isolated hailstorms associated with windstorm may hamper the harvesting and threshing of wheat and sowing of cotton.
• May and first half of June are likely to remain drier and hotter than normal. That would increase the probability of occurrence of heatwaves over plains and coastal belt of the country.
• Heatwave conditions in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral may accelerate glacier melting and trigger GLOF events in the coming summer season.
• Due to intense heating, monsoon onset is expected to be early during second half of June 2016.
• El Nino is declining and global climate models predict it to run in the neutral phase during monsoon season.
(Dr. Ghulam Rasul)
Director General
Meteorological Deptt pak
M.jalal shamil sahab leave the nature on its own kindness. Your point and attention toward the looming of earthquake and dangrous flooding prediction is mere an idea . The govt and NGO s working in the district is not more then a penny. So stop deforstration and goat grazing in the forest to avoid from flesh floods rathen then suggesting the various point.
Siraj Sb has drew our attention towards a very serious collective concern.I totally agree with his prediction that 2016 is going to bring more floods not only in chitral but in GB as well.The possibility of high intensity earthquake is also looming large at any moment. The October 2015 quake has left our glaciers with even more cracks and high level alterations in the geography of the glaciers has already taken place.In this summer- which is going to be more hotter than normal as predicted by Pak Materiological dept-the hotter temperature will increase the possibility of glacial leke outburst, resulting in high intensity floods.According to the prediction alert for spring and summer 2016, issued by NDMA Pakistan, hotter temperature in Chitral is likely to intensify/ accelerate GLOFs in Chitral in 2016.Moreover, as compare to the past emergency situation could arise as soon as in June.
Besides the aspects as identified by Siraj sb, There are few other crucial aspect which needs to be dealt in advance.As entire district is prone to floods, therefore, identification of safe shelter site in the vicinity of every village with adequate supply of tents in advance, availability of sufficient amount of medicine and food items, installation of proper alert system by the government, mobilization of people and training volunteers are very much needed. We cant wait till the bad things happen.
The new LG leadershp in Dist council and Tehsil Councils must sit for contemplation to face the situation. We can’t stop the course of nature, but we can plan to minimize its destruction. Allah Khair Karain, We are going to face very tough time in the coming months.