CHITRAL: The bridges, roads, irrigation channels and water supply schemes hit by flash floods in July last year in Chitral town are yet to be rehabilitated.

Work has also not been started on the two pedestrian bridges over Chitral Gol stream that were washed away by flash floods. People still use a makeshift wooden bridge to cross the stream, putting their lives at risk.

“One of the bridges is located at a distance of less than 100 meters from the offices of the district nazim and deputy commissioner who do not pay attention,” complains Abdul Basit of Goldur village while talking to this correspondent.

He said that the makeshift bridge would be no more when water level in the stream would rise in summer and the people would have to take a detour of half an hour to reach the other side of the stream through the bridge at Atalique bazaar.

He said that hundreds of children going to schools crossed the stream daily and they would be the worst sufferers in case the makeshift bridges were also washed away.

Inamur Rahman of Muldeh village said that the irrigation channels emanating from the stream were yet to be rehabilitated and any delay would create a difficult situation for the farmers of Muldeh, Goldur, Zargarandeh and Junali whose wheat crop and fruit trees would be at risk of destruction.

He said that the situation would create numerous problems for the people if they lost their wheat, fodder and rice crop as well the fruit trees due to the shortage of irrigation water as they derived a large part of their sustenance from agriculture. He complained that the residents of Chitral town comprising three union councils were the worst affected by the flash floods of last year as none of the elected representatives and the government officers paid attention to their problems.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2016