CHITRAL: Speakers at a function held in connection with World Migratory Birds Day here on Friday expressed concern over ‘ruthless’ hunting of water fowls and other species in Chitral, which is the starting point of Indus flyway.

Held under the aegis of snow leopard Foundation at government high school, Sor Laspur in Upper Chitral, students, representatives of civil society and academia attended the event, highlighting the importance of migratory birds for environment and ecosystem.

They said a number of species of migratory birds were at the brink of extinction.

They said the people of Chitral were fortunate to welcome a large number of birds in the course of their migration from Siberia to the plains of Pakistan and India.

Students of the school highlighted the significance of migratory birds through their sketches and drawings, which were applauded by the participants.

A sensitisation documentary was also played for the participants to enhance their interest and understanding about wildlife conservation.

BULWARKS INAUGURATED: Representatives of Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and German Red Cross have built bulwarks against floods and river inundation in Reshun, Green Lusht and Zayet villages of Upper Chitral.

PRCS provincial chairman Habib Malik Orakzai and head of German Red Cross for Pakistan Asif Aman Khan inaugurated the embankments.

The local communities expressed their gratitude to the organisations for the work, thus saving their villages from floods.

The community leaders informed the representatives of the organisations that their villages had been devastated by flash floods, glacial lake outburst flood and river inundation several times during the last 10 years, causing deaths, destroying agricultural land and displacing hundreds of families.

They said the bulwarks completed by the organisations had brought a sense of satisfaction to the residents of all the three disaster-prone villages.

They said side by side with the bulwarks, the villagers had been imparted extensive training on mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery to cope with natural disasters.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2023