January 05, 2008	Saturday	Zilhaj 25, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: Boys and girls studying in government schools and colleges in the quake-hit areas of Balakot and Kaghan valley are suffering the worst because of lack of facilities to fight the biting cold, and fears being are expressed that many of them may fall ill or even die.

The question remains that how much the poor people will suffer more till the new Balakot, which is being developed 20km away with modern facilities of life, becomes a reality and they will be able to start construction of their houses on plots allotted to them.

A total of 4,040 houses have been declared destroyed in the red zone of Balakot and the owners will get plots in new Balakot. But the number seems to be on the lower side when seen in light of the fact that there were several houses where more than one family was living.

Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) Chief of Staff Brig Waqar Iqbal Raja told Dawn that the allotment of plots would start as soon as the first phase of development work on the new town was over.

He further stated that almost half of the Erra staff would be terminated on completion of three years, while remaining establishment was likely to continue for a total of five years.

Almost half of the population still remains away from their hometown in wake of the children’s academic needs and in the process many become bankrupt due to fewer resources.

The makeshift shelters provided for the schools have no basic facilities.

The shelters housing these schools are also vulnerable to give protection against the cold that causes a number of diseases, including pneumonia, cold and fever.

Erra, which is responsible for providing the quake-hit areas relief against the hardships of weather, has no answer to this except that it had planned certain number of schools and was in the process of floating tenders for them, but the immediate problem remains unresolved.

A fresh survey in the area reveals horrific story of the conditions in which the poor schoolchildren are continuing their studies, as there is no arrangement to bear the unbearable cold due to mercury dropping to minus three to five in the last couple of weeks and it is expected to remain so for at least another month.

Most of schools and colleges in the area were restored by various NGOs and philanthropists after October 8, 2005, devastating earthquake.

Though ill equipped to meet both hot and cold weather needs, these were considered sufficient to fulfil immediate educational needs.

Erra in coordination with the provincial government has since been working on reconstruction of buildings for the destroyed schools, but has met with a variety of hurdles.