CHITRAL: The residents of Parwak village in Upper Chitral lost all their sources of sustenance to the glacial flood in June last year that swept away the siphon irrigation system supplying water to the village since 1985 from a glacier-fed stream across the Mastuj River.

The villagers told reporters that the washing away of irrigation system had dried out all vegetation in the area. They said they lost their cereal crops, fruit and non-fruit trees, vegetables and fodder crops to the drought that resulted from destruction of irrigation system.

They regretted that the government had failed to restore the irrigation system, absence of which had turned the village into a wasteland.

Isa Ali, a former councillor, said the villagers derived a larger chunk of their household income from selling apples, peaches, vegetables, fodder and firewood.

He said the villagers had sold out all their livestock as they were left with nothing to feed them after the crops of wheat, fodder and trees withered away due to non-availability of water.

Mr Ali said the villagers led a prosperous life because of the siphon irrigation system launched by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme. He said irrigation water enabled people to grow fruit orchards, cereal crops and fodder for their livestock.

Mohammad Aziz, a villager, said last year, he had earned Rs250,000 by selling apples in his garden, but this year his income was zero as fruit fell down due to paucity of water.

Pointing towards the wasted apple trees of his orchard, he said he had lost a large part of his income. He said he also had to lose his dairy products as he had sold out his three cows.

The villagers regretted that no effort had so far been made to restore the irrigation system, while they were yet to be enlisted as affected persons by the district administration to enable them to get relief given by the government and non-governmental organisations.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2023