ABBOTTABAD, Nov 20: Maj-Gen Shakeel Hussain, Base Commander of quake-affected areas of NWFP, has said that efforts are under way to restore economic activities in the desaster hit region so that people can restart normal life.

Talking to a group of newsmen at the Mansehra main base camp of the army on Sunday, he said services of some organizations, including NGOs, had been hired to purchase entire agricultural produce from farmers of the quake-hit areas, especially potato, from different parts of Kaghan and Balakot.

He said the same practice was being adopted in the purchase of livestock from local people who were earlier selling them at throwaway prices. Arrangements had also been made to provide them fodder for animals.

About relief operation, he said at least 98 per cent areas had been accessed and rehabilitation work had begun there.

At least 1,200 single-room houses had been constructed and given to widows. The army and volunteers were helping others in building houses with the provision of galvanized iron sheets and other material.

He said the new volunteer scheme of President Musharraf would be started soon for the rehabilitation effort.

According to a survey conducted by the army with the help of locals, 270,908 houses had suffered damage in the quake. Of them, 114,470 were in Mansehra district, 62,714 in Battagram, 52,058 in Abbottabad district, 25,429 in Shangla district and 19,237 in Kohistan district.

He said the survey of commercial buildings and government organizations was yet to be completed.

Maj-Gen Shakeel said that more than 76,000 homeless people “have so far been settled in tent villages” established by the army and other organizations. “We have sufficient space to accommodate more people due to arrival of tents in the area,” he added.

He said basic facilities like clean drinking water, washrooms and toilets “have been provided in camps while WFP is providing food”.

He said conditions in tent villages set up in different parts of Hazara had begun improving. Ration cards had been issued to Nazims and DCOs who, with the help of elected representatives, were completing them, especially covering those “who are displaced but residing outside camps with relatives, friends or on rented premises” so that food could be provided to them.

He said that six brigades of the Pakistan Army are currently working in the five districts of the NWFP with six engineering battalions who had cleared almost all the main and link roads in the quake-hit areas and were moving fast to supply food and other stuff before the start of snowfall.

Things are very much under control as regards medical facilities and now all the injured are being treated locally, with only the serious cases being airlifted to other parts of the country, he said.