CHITRAL: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has ordered a comprehensive survey of Chitral district to identify flood-prone areas, vulnerable basic infrastructure and other facilities so that sustainable measures could be planned to protect such areas and facilities from natural calamities.

Talking to a delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in Chitral on Saturday, the chief minister said that the flood-affected roads and bridges were being repaired and rehabilitated on priority in a bid to restore the communication link of the affected areas with Chitral.

Terming the ongoing flash floods in Chitral very dangerous, he said that despite inaccessibility to the remote flood-hit areas and certain other difficulties, the provincial government in collaboration with the Pakistan Army was following a strategy to mitigate the sufferings of the affected population by repairing and rehabilitating the devastated infrastructure.

Mr Khattak said that cooperation of the Pakistan Army had been sought to carry out rehabilitation work of communication system on a war footing. He said that he had also fixed short- and long-term damage repair targets for the provincial government departments and relief agencies and mobilised them fully to achieve the targets.

He said that reconstruction work of three main washed away roads had been handed over to the Frontier Works Organisation for their early rehabilitation.

He said that in view of more rains and flood warnings, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had put on alert all the relevant government machinery to deal with any emergency situation. Emergency funds have also been placed at the disposal of district administration and relief departments, he said.

Expressing his deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious human lives in Chitral’s floods, the chief minister said that the survey was underway for ascertaining the losses of private properties.

In response to demands presented by the delegation, he announced upgradation of the district headquarters hospital and launching of 1122 Rescue Service in Chitral. He said that under the new health policy the DHQ hospital would also enjoy autonomy which would ensure availability of all necessary medical facilities and medicines.

Referring to the empowerment of the people at local level under the local government system, he said that in addition to self-generated financial resources already available to Chitral local government, the provincial government would also disburse Rs900 million to the newly elected councils in the district. He asked the PTI workers and people to help the provincial government for checking timber mafia.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2015

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