MANSEHRA, May 25: The continued landsliding has turned many of the earthquake-ravaged Balakot villages into ‘ghost towns’ as thousands of survivor families have been forced to migrate to safer places.

Hundreds of buildings including houses, schools and health centres were buried under the rubble on October 8, 2005 when a devastating earthquake hit the region.

“We have been forced to shift to Mansehra and other parts of the district due to continued landsliding. Life is unsafe here and our houses had been washed away,” said one of the survivors and added that the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) had so far not paid them compensation to purchase alternative land.

According to the Erra, about 50,000 earthquake victim families migrated to Mansehra and other adjacent areas due to fear of landsliding. To compensate these families, the Erra had launched the ‘landless scheme’ and each victim family was being paid Rs75,000 for purchase of land at safer places. A Land Verification Unit (LVU) had been set up by the Erra for the purposes, but thousands of families have reportedly been deprived of the compensation amount.

During a visit to Kotgali, union council Satbani, people told this scribe that over 90 per cent population had migrated to Mansehra, Sandysar, Chitta Battal and Attershsiha as the area had been declared ‘dangerous zone’.

The locals said that the scenic valley, lying between two mountainous ranges, had been ruined following the tragedy. Kotgali, 15 kilometres from Balakot city, was severely hit by the earthquake as high and primary schools and basic health unit were totally destroyed. The devastation in the area could be seen even today.

About 65 schoolchildren died in a primary school, residents including Mohammad Basheer, Mian Basheer, Mohammad Qasim, Mian Ghulam Qasim and others said. About 1,800 people were killed in Satbani and 121 in Kotgali. They said that following the tragedy, survivors lived in tents but landsliding forced them to migrate to other areas. The survivors of nearby villages Jiggan, Bin Bagar, Ganila, Mung, Kamara, Katha Reso, Battal Mora and Mukhan had also migrated.

The quake victims alleged that the LVU had failed to deliver and many of them were still waiting for the compensation. “We are living miserable life now as at the early stage our relatives supported and kept us with them in their houses but now we live in rented houses,” they said and demanded compensation immediately.

“If we get the remaining housing compensation and the LVU amount of Rs75,000 for purchase of land then our problems could be solved,” they added.