CHITRAL: Chitral Deputy Commissioner Osama Ahmed Warraich has said work on clearing over 12 flood-affected streams of debris and boulders is in full swing.

Talking to reporters during a visit to Ayun Gol here on Wednesday, he said debris brought on by the last year’s floods had disrupted routes of the streams, due to which irrigation channels feeding the adjacent villages were also blocked. He said cleaning of streams was vital to ensure that water continued to flow in the irrigation channels during summer season.

He said the rehabilitation of the watercourses would be complete within a month, adding scarcity of earth-moving machinery was causing some problems.

Mr Warraich said Rs340 million had been allocated under the community driven local development project of the European Union for the local communities to help them restore their small-scale infrastructures affected by the devastating floods.

He said keeping in view the flood devastation in Ayun and the Kalash valleys of Bumburate, Birir and Rumbur, another project of Rs100 million was being finalised by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2016