June 07, 2007

The remote village of Washich came into the spotlight in early April when it was hit by avalanches, leading to a loss of 40 lives, with over 100 people injured and 38 houses swept away

The government seems to have forgotten all about Washich, a village that was devastated by an avalanche more than two months ago. Only a small fraction of the announced relief has been received so far.

The village, sandwiched between a river and mountain, is a strip of about four kilometres, whose maximum width is about half-kilometre and accommodates more than 200 families. Seven streams run across the village transversally. Heavy snowfall each winter causes accumulation of a large mass of snow and glacier in the mountains and its water drains into the river nearby through the streams.

The village, obscure and remote, came into the spotlight in early April when it was hit by avalanches, leading to the loss of 40 lives, with over 100 people injured and 38 houses swept away. Hundreds of acres of land with wheat crop and thousands of fruit trees along with livestock were also wiped out.

The rubble of the avalanche, with an average height of 20 feet, still covers all the 38 houses which can be traced only with the melting of the ice, possibly towards the end of this month. The irrigation channels from the streams were also swept away and the remaining wheat crop and trees have started withering in the absence of water.

The villagers derive their livelihood from wheat crop, livestock and fruit trees –– and all these have been lost. The reconstruction of the channels is the biggest challenge which is not possible without the government’s support. Most of the villagers want to leave the village permanently and want the government to help them settle in safe places. They contend that the glacier in the mountain is a potential danger and is hanging like Damocles’ sword above their heads, likely to hit the village again and again.

The immediate problem of the survivors is the acute shortage of edible items, especially flour, ghee, rice and tea. The villagers unaffected by the avalanche have also exhausted their stored commodities by sharing it with those affectees.

The government had dispatched two C-130 planes loaded with tents, blankets and edible commodities. Relief items were also provided by three helicopters of Pak Army, but the relief goods were insufficient. The provincial and the central governments announced Rs100,000 for the kins of the dead and Rs50,000 for the injured, but so far it’s been nothing more than an announcement.

No provision has been announced for the reconstruction of the houses washed away or partially damaged. The carcasses of hundreds of livestock are buried under the snow and their decomposition with the arrival of summer will cause an outbreak of diseases. The health department has yet to spray insecticides in the houses despite repeated demands.

The villagers were also critical of political parties who, according to them, were more interested in cashing in on their miseries than solving them. The local elected leaders visited the area many times, flying in Army or Aga Khan Foundation helicopters but nothing has come out of all this futile and costly exercise. No provincial minister, including the chief minister, has bothered to visit the village, the villagers complained.