TIMERGARA: Members of Adenzai Qaumi Jirga and farmers of different villages on Saturday demonstrated outside the Chakdara Press Club to demand of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to declare the flood-affected areas of Lower Dir as calamity-hit and pay compensation to growers.

Later, speaking at a news conference, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Rahimullah advocate, Adenzai Qaumi Jirga coordinator Madad Khan and farmers’ representatives Fayyaz Khan, Zarin Khan, Fazal Ali, Murad Ali and Gul Zada said that recent hailstorm and floodwater destroyed standing crops of maize and rice and vegetables in Gaddar, Adam Dherai, Shah Alam Baba, Badwan and Khadagzai areas.

They said that agriculture was the only source of livelihood for farmers and that they would stage more protests if the government failed to assess damages and pay compensation to them.

WATER SUPPLY SCHEME: Residents of various localities of Rabat on Saturday complained that despite passage of four years the water supply scheme of the area had not been made functional.

Talking to journalists, people of Kotkay, Nawagai, Shahgai and Qilla said that the flash floods in 2010 had washed away the water supply scheme. They added that after the floods three tubewells were dug but due to non-provision of power supply the scheme could not be made functional.

The residents said that families were forced to fetch potable water from distant places, adding that people also used contaminated water of a stream.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2014