CHITRAL: The closure of the roads of more than a dozen of valleys in both Upper and Lower Chitral districts to vehicular traffic for the last three weeks has been creating myriad issues for people with food insecurity topping the list.

The sub-valleys of Madaklasht, Susoom, Karimabad and Gobor in Lower Chitral and Broghil, Yarkhoon, Upper Terich, Khot, Rech, Melp and Rech in Upper Chitral are the worst affected and one has to wade through the snow for more than eight hours to reach there.

The residents of the affected area have said that food items and lifesaving drugs are running out in the absence of replenishment for long while patients and injured are taken on shoulders by the villagers to the road.

They said that government has cleared only main arteries from Chitral city to Garam Chashma and Mastuj but no snow clearance work on the link roads to the sub-valleys and distant villages has been started, leaving it all to the local people to do it on self-help basis.

Villagers say roads in dozens of valleys have been closed for three weeks

The former village nazim of Broghil, Amin Jan Tajik, said that there was a famine-like situation for people and their cattle after the valley received more than four feet snow while one had to walk for two days to reach Brep village to get a vehicle.

He recalled that the valley had received such a heavy snowfall in 1974, prompting the then government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to airdrop ration for people as well as forage for their cattle, which formed their only source of sustenance.

Mr Tajik said that to reopen the road by clearing snow and removing boulders and debris was beyond the capacity of locals as heavy machinery was required for the purpose.

Former MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali said that closure of roads gave birth to all kinds of issues and it was a pity that both federal and provincial governments neglected the ordeals of people.

Talking to journalists here on Wednesday, he said that restoration of power supply to the affected villages would not be possible without reopening of roads. “More than three-fourth villages of Chitral have been without electricity after the heavy snowfall,” he added.

He said that during the month of Ramazan, shortage of food was deplorable. “It may result in a human tragedy,” he added.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2024