GILGIT, July 31: The Northern Areas Labour Party chief organiser Ahsan Ali has appealed to the government to give compensation to the families of flood victims and also to those whose houses, orchards, cattle and crop-fields have been damaged by the recent flash floods in Northern Areas.

In a statement on Monday, he said that at least Rs500,00 should be given to the families of the deceased and urged the local administration to undertake rehabilitation work in Ghizer where floodwater killed six people on Friday and two passengers on the Karakoram Highway. Mr Ali said the flood had destroyed standing crops in Jutal, Matumdas, Jaglote Guru, Yaseen, Astore, Naltar, Nomal, Nagar and Hunza and the areas needed immediate relief and rehabilitation.

He said the affected villagers were helpless as they saw water eroding their agriculture lands on which they depended for subsistence. He also demanded that the Northern Areas works department should expedite work on opening the land routes to various smaller villages in the hilly areas.

The Ghizer administration had announced Rs100,000 for each flood victim in Ghizer which was insufficient for the loss of a human being, he added.