CHITRAL; The people of both Upper and Lower Chitral have demanded of the government to order fresh assessment of damage caused to houses, crops and orchards by heavy snowfall in the valley as a large number of affected people have been left in the process carried out earlier.

President of Upper Chitral chapter of Pakistan Peoples Party Amirullah Khan told journalists in Chitral Press Club here on Tuesday that the three-day snowfall in the early days of March devastated houses and fruit orchards in Chitral but more than half of the affected persons were not included in damage assessment survey.

He said that the during the initial round of assessment, a large number of areas were not approachable for the field staff as a result of which many affected people were not included in the list to get compensation.

Mr Khan said that internet connectivity was mandatory at an affected place for its geographical positioning and unfortunately most of the areas were without electricity and their damage could not be brought into the notice of quarters concerned.

He appreciated the scientific method of damage assessment but regretted that owing to absence of sound internet connectivity, it was not possible. He said that the unusual snowfall in the area would render people more poor and indigent than before if they were not properly compensated by the government for which re-assessment of the whole area was inevitable.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2024