PESHAWAR: Immediate relief urged for snow-hit Kalam
By Our Correspondent
PESHAWAR, Feb 23: The Kalam and Kohistan Union of Journalists (KKUH) has expressed concern over devastations caused by recent rain and snowfall and has urged the government to send relief goods to save people from starvation.
"Neither the provincial nor the federal government has so far provided any relief to the people of Kalam", said Rehmatuddin Siddiqui, general secretary of the KKUJ during a press conference here on Wednesday.
The helicopter provided by the central government for distribution of relief goods was used by federal minister, Amir Muqam, for personal visits. Mr Muqam distributed few bags of mineral water and water purification capsules in relief package at Mingora airport, Siddiqui added.
He said chief minister, senior minister or any federal government had not visited the rain-affected area of Kalam valley. Not even a kilogram of relief goods was provided to the people of this area.
He said Senior Minister Sirajul Haq had announced Rs18 million relief package for Dir district, where, according to him, minimum human and financial losses occurred due to heavy rains. He questioned if the provincial government had restricted its relief activities only to Dir and Bannu districts.
"We don't need toffees, water purifying capsules, mineral water, blankets, shoes and jackets. We need food items along with fuel for lighting and cooking", he added. He said modern machinery should be provided to restore the traffic on Kalam Road.
He urged the government to immediately send a team of medical experts and medicines on emergency basis as hundreds of wounded persons were lying without any medical treatment in the area.
If relief goods were not provided immediately there may be famine in the area consisting about 70,000 people. Mr Siddiqui asked people and other organisations to stop collecting donations in the name of rain-affected people of Kalam as nothing had reached to the deserving persons.
Elaborating destructions of rain and snowfall, he said that there was 20 feet snowfall in Kalam valley, which had played havoc with the residents. He said more than 400 houses had been totally razed to the ground and glaciers and landslides had killed hundreds of people. Several dead bodies were still under the snow and were difficult to recover.
He said that Kalam was totally cut off from Madyan, Behrain and Battagram for the last 25 days. There was severe shortage of food items and diseases were spreading in the area. He appealed to the provincial and federal governments to immediately provide relief goods to the area.
