CHITRAL: Local political activists have demanded of the government to start work on rehabilitation of protection walls and diversion of river and stream during the ongoing winter season as work on such sites would not be possible from mid-March when the water level rises.

Amirullah Khan, Upper Chitral district president of PPP, said that segments of roads and irrigation channels and some villages were on the verge of being eroded into the river.

He said that no work was possible when the water level increased in spring season.

He said that as the practice in vogue the funds for protection and rehabilitation works were released to the departments of communication and works, irrigation, public health engineering and TMA in April and work was started two to three months later in June or July.

Haji Hussain Shah, former chairman of Mulkhow union council, said that October to early March was the ideal time for construction or repair work at the riverbanks and streams of Chitral.

He said unfortunately the funds for projects of rehabilitation and protection of the infrastructures were released in April and May when the ideal time for work was over and during wait for next winter more damage was inflicted on the sites by flash floods in summer.

WOMAN DPO: Sonia Shamroz Khan has been posted as the first lady district police officer of Chitral, replacing Abdul Haye Khan.

A grade-18 officer of Police Service of Pakistan, Sonia hails from Abbottabad district and is said to be also the first woman police officer in the province to be posted as DPO.

Two months ago, Tania Rashid, a grade-17 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, was posted as assistant commissioner in Chitral.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2021