SHANGLA: Most of the people, whose houses have been destroyed during the recent rains, have complained that they are living under the open sky in the chilly weather.

District Disaster Management Officer Eng Taimur Afridi told this correspondent that more than 35 houses were damaged and over 50 partially damaged during the recent rainfall.

He said that most of the houses collapsed due to landslide which was common in hilly areas like Shangla. Various such incidents occurred in different union councils including Chakesar, Opal, Dehrai, Koz Kana, Ambela, Puran Choga and the surrounding areas.

“We have distributed nine tents among the victims of Opal area and information has been sent to Provincial Disaster Management Authority regarding these incidents,” said Mr Afridi.

However, a number of families complained that they were living under the open sky in the chilly weather. They said that they were not provided with food and non-food items.

Official says they have provided nine tents to residents of Opal area

They said that the partially damaged could collapse anytime. Scores of other families have migrated to the adjacent areas. In Opal area, three houses collapsed due to landslide.

Gul Sheren, a resident of Opal, told this scribe that their three houses were completely destroyed due to which all of their belongings including food items, blankets, clothes and other goods of daily use were buried under rubble. “Now we have nothing to eat,” he said.

Mr Sheran said that the administration gave them only tents but they couldn’t live in tents in the chilly weather. “Is it not the responsibility of the government to help me and feed my children,” he questioned.

Inaytur Rehman, another resident of the area, said that destruction of their house panicked them as they feared more incidents of landslide in the village. He said that their children were living under the open sky in heavy rain but the government didn’t provide any assistance to them.

Mr Rehman appealed to the government to provide blankets, clothes, shelters and food items to them as soon as possible.

Similarly, in Dehrai area a child was killed when a house collapsed. The surviving members of the family are still living under open sky.

Ahmed Ali, the uncle of the child, said that it was a painful moment of his life to see his nephew dying in the house collapse. “We are still living with our family under a shelter made from plastic sheets,” he added.

Mr Ali said that they submitted an application with the administration but they were not provided with even a single tent.

The affected people also demanded financial assistance to rebuild their houses.

The rains have also affected link roads in the far-flung areas causing shortage of food items in Opal, Ajmeer and Saidanu Dehrai. The local people demanded of the government to rebuild the roads on emergency basis.

Meanwhile, after a three-day break, a new spell of rain began in the district on Thursday.

The local Met office said that the new spell would continue for three days.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2016