PESHAWAR: The government’s infrastructures worth one billion rupees have been turned into rubble in the conflict-stricken North Waziristan Agency, according to damage need assessment report.

The line departments of Civil Secretariat, Fata have carried out damage need assessment survey of the government owned properties in Mirali and Miramshah sub-divisions of North Waziristan. Survey of the damaged infrastructure was conducted after security forces cleared these areas of militants.

The report said that 115 facilities including education and health and 102 kilometres roads had been either completely or partially damaged in the affected areas. Officials said that assessment was carried out in August this year.

The government has set up Temporarily Dislocated Population Secretariat in Peshawar for overseeing overall activities including damage assessment in North Waziristan Agency. A senior military officer has been appointed head of the secretariat.

FDMA yet to receive green signal to assess the damage inflicted on private properties

Security forces had launched operation Zarb-i-Azb against local and foreign militants in North Waziristan in June. Before ground offensive, air force carried out strikes to soften targets of the militants in Miramshah, Mirali and Datakhel sub-divisions of the tribal region.

The military operation had forced half million civilians to flee their homes and take shelter in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country. The army said that over 80 per cent area had been cleared of militants. However, return plan for internally displaced persons has not been announced.

The residents of the tribal area said that militants had occupied government buildings including schools and health centres, which were used as offices and for accommodation purposes.

The main offices of town committee and government higher secondary schools for girls in Miramshah Bazaar were also occupied by militants.

Fata Disaster Management Authority is yet to receive signal to start damage need assessment of private properties including residential and commercial. There are reports that military operation had left trail of destruction especially in Mirali and Miramshah bazaars.

The local people, who have visited the affected areas after operation, said that commercial properties and houses had received widespread damage and residential compounds had been flattened.

“Magnitude of destruction in Mirali Bazaar is unbelievable,” said a tribesman, who recently visited Miramshah for burying a deceased relative there.

The administration has allowed the local tribal people to bury their relatives in their ancestral graveyards. Two relatives are permitted to go along with the coffin for burial to North Waziristan while the grave is dug by security forces. The tribal people have to get permission from security forces for burying their relatives in North Waziristan.

Militancy and disproportionate use of force have caused massive collateral damage to the properties in other tribal agencies too. Earlier, damage need assessment survey carried out under the supervision of Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) revealed that over 60,000 houses had been damaged in Orakzai, Khyber, South Waziristan and Kurram agencies.

The report said that reconstruction of the damaged facilities required Rs1.79 billion. Sector-wise breakup is that total 31 educational institutions (six 100 per cent, nine 50 per cent and 16 20 per cent), eight health facilities, two buildings of the works and services department, 13 facilities of livestock, seven agriculture, eight public health engineering, 35 municipal committee including 21 shops, two sport facilities and 19 irrigation department have been damaged.

In addition, according to the report, 102 kilometres road have been damaged in different areas and repair cost is Rs229 million. The report said that estimated cost of the reconstruction of educational institutions was Rs67.135 million, facilities of irrigation department Rs181 million, buildings of works and services Rs 200 million and health facilities Rs288 million.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2015