MINGORA: The land grabbers are constructing illegal structures along streams and rivers in Swat without any check by the district administration, local people allege.

They said that encroachments on the banks of the Swat River, Marghuzar stream and Jambil stream would pose threat of floods not only to the nearby areas but also to the people living down the river in rainy seasons.

“The Swat River and every stream in the district was clearly demarcated by the Swat state rulers and no one could dare to even put stones or debris at the demarcated lands let alone constructing structures,” said Usman Ulasyar, a social activist in Saidu Sharif. He alleged that land grabbers had encroached on every stream and river in the district. The local residents said that the land grabbers were so influential that district administration was helpless to take action against them.

“The land mafia is busy to seize the land along the streams and river but no action is being taken against it. This is the responsibility of district administration to take action against them,” said Advocate Said Karim Shilmani.

The residents of the area said that illegal construction on the banks of rivers and streams would create problems for them.

“They are thinning the course of water and in rainy season the water enters the nearby houses, causing devastation,” said Abdullah, a resident of Amankot.

Hussain Ali, another resident of Sethi Mohallah in Amankot, said that during the 2010 floods, encroachments along the stream blocked the water and it turned towards their village and washed away about 15 houses. “Once again the land mafia has started encroaching on the stream which poses threats to our village,” he added.

The residents of the area demanded of the provincial government to take action against the land grabbers.

Bakhtiar, an official of irrigation department, when contacted, said that he was aware of the encroachments but when he raided a locality in Faizabad where people were busy in construction, they showed him legal documents of the revenue department.

“I sent few letters to the assistant commissioner office in Babuzai tehsil to send patwaris and verify the lands along the streams in Faizabad and Amankot about six months ago but the assistant commissioner did not respond,” he added.

However, Assistant Commissioner Ashfaq Khan told Dawn that his office did not receive any letter. “I will immediately contact the SDO irrigation and will send patwaris to the area to verify the demarcation of the stream and take action against the encroachers,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2015