SKARDU, July 16: Ghanche Deputy Commissioner Fida Hussain and Deputy Commander Siachen Brigade Col Kamran Waheed distributed relief goods among the affected people of Kuru and Ghwari the other day. The relief goods, which included sugar, milk, pulses, tents, blankets and water-purification medicines, had been donated by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS). Addressing the flood-affected people in Ghwari, Col Waheed and Deputy Commissioner Hussain said that the government would extend all possible help for the rehabilitation of these people.

He added that the army was also assisting the district administration in the rescue operation.

The deputy commissioner said the district administration was trying its best to provide relief and rehabilitate the affected people. In this connection a six-member committee has been formed, headed by Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Hadi.

He said that the committee was collecting data of the losses in Kuru and Ghwari and a report regarding it had already been sent to the chief secretary, Northern Areas. He said: “We are at a loss to ascertain the actual position of the losses of land and homes as many houses have been entrapped by river water and nobody can reach there to make an assessment report.”

Assistant Commissioner Syed Mohammad Hadi, who is the in charge of relief operations, told journalists that the torrents and flood had damaged 58 houses in Kuru and 204 houses in Ghawari.

“According to the assessment report prepared so far by the district administration Ghanche, the torrents from the hills and river flood in both the villages of Kuru and Ghwari had devastated 3,419 kanal irrigation land, 213,605kg wheat crops, 1,700kg potato crops, 14,000 fruit trees and 34,000 trees worth Rs140 million.

Syed Hadi further said that the district administration with the help of the Public Works Department, Ghanche, has planned to construct 288 temporary houses comprising three rooms each for the people of the flood-affected areas.

Maulana Abdul Bari said that the flood had played havoc in the two villages of Ghwari and Kuru. He said that the water level in the Shyoke River was increasing which posed more threat to the area.

A group of local newsmen visited the flood-affected areas of Kuru and Ghawari. They inspected a 10-bedded hospital in Ghorai where the district health officer, Ghanche, Ghulam Mehdi, while briefing journalists, said that the DHO had established emergency medical camps in both the villages of Kuru and Ghwari and so far the medical officers had treated 2,500 patients, most of whom were suffering from gastroenteritis. He said that the hospital had a sufficient stock of medicines.