SWAT: A young man drowned in the Swat River after falling from a makeshift chairlift in Serai Mankyal area of Bahrain tehsil here on Sunday.

The deceased, identified as Luqman, was crossing the river using the locally-made chairlift when he lost his balance due to the chairlift’s jolts and fell into the river.

Locals tried to recover the body, but in vain.

The incident is part of a recurring tragedy in the area. The bridges that once connected villages along the river from Bahrain to Kalam were washed away in the catastrophic floods of 2010. Since then, the residents of these isolated villages located across the Swat River have been left with no option but to install makeshift chairlifts to cross the dangerous river.

However, the quality of these chairlifts or cable cars is subpar, and their safety is questionable, resulting in numerous fatalities over the years.

Bahrain residents complain bridges washed away in 2010 floods yet to be rebuilt

Local residents have voiced their frustration and fear, citing several instances of drowning caused by these unsafe chairlifts. “So far, 13 people have died after falling from the chairlift that connects our village to the main Kalam Road,” shared Akhtar Malak, a resident of the affected village. “We used to have a proper bridge before the 2010 floods, but it was washed away. Despite repeated promises from successive governments, the bridge has yet to be rebuilt.”

The reliance on these dangerous chairlifts has become a grim reality for the residents, who have no other means of crossing the river.

Jan Mohammad, an elder of the village, explained the villagers’ helpless situation:

“We face countless difficulties due to the lack of a proper bridge. The chairlift, which was set up by the villagers, is unsafe. Children and women are too afraid to use it, and even men risk their lives each time they cross the river.”

The elder said the villagers lacked the financial resources to build a proper and sturdy cable car system. “The absence of the bridge continues to isolate the community, cutting them off from basic services and economic opportunities. Despite repeated appeals to the government for intervention, the situation remains unchanged.”

Since the floods, multiple governments have made hollow promises to restore the bridges in the region.

Unfortunately, no action has been taken, and the residents on both sides of the river remain dependent on these makeshift cable cars. As a result, their lives are constantly at risk, and they face numerous hardships in their daily lives.

The residents of Serai Mankyal and other affected areas are now urgently calling on the government to take immediate steps to rebuild the bridges that once connected their villages to the rest of the region.

The community hopes that further loss of life can be prevented by replacing these perilous chairlifts with safe and permanent infrastructure.

“We can’t wait any longer,” said Jan Mohammad. “The government must act now before more lives are lost. We need that bridge, and we need it soon.”

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2024