CHITRAL: The residents of flood-hit Reshun village in upper Chitral have complained that the contractor is not properly dredging a local stream, leaving behind the big boulders brought by the recent floods, which might again divert water flow to the area in future.

Talking to media persons, the villagers said the irrigation department had given the contract of cleaning the stream at a cost of Rs24.9 million. But, they added that the contractor had left the big boulders untouched, besides not cleaning the stream to the level where it used to be.

The villagers, including Haji Bulbul Aman, Ali Dost Khan, Sher Jam, Khwaja Nizamud Din, Rahmat Nadir Khan and others said a series of glacial lakes outburst floods (GLOF) played havoc with the village in July and August, last year, rendering over 150 families homeless.

The flood had washed away a hydropower station having 4.2 megawatt electricity generation, which electrified the Mastuj subdivision.

The villagers expressed concern that in the coming summer season the GLOF might hit the village again as fissures had appeared in the glacier. They said the irrigation department did not learn any lesson from the past experience as Rs20 million was squandered in the stream’s cleaning work in 2014 after the village was hit by GLOF in 2013. “At that time, we had proposed to the department for removing the boulders brought by the flood which hindered the smooth water flow through the stream causing its diversion to the village on either side,” an elder said, adding another hindrance was the anchorages of four destroyed suspension bridges over the stream.

The villagers said a massive boulder diverted the floodwaters to the power station, washing it away.

They complained that the contractor was not removing the boulders from the stream and remains of the anchorages.

Site engineer, Noorul Amiun said the estimated cost and the bill of quantity (BOQ) approved by the irrigation department did not commensurate the actual number of boulders in the stream. He said the contractor was paid by the department as per BOQ and that’s why he could not increase the quantity of work.

When contacted, executive engineer of irrigation division, Chitral, Engr Mohammad Zubair told Dawn the shortcomings in the project would be addressed.

He said only 50 per cent work had been completed and the boulders near the washed away powerhouse would be removed to ensure smooth water flow through the stream.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2016