CHITRAL, March 2: Fearing destruction of their village after the recent change in direction of flow by the River Chitral, Sarghuz people, including women and children, on Friday went on hunger strike against the government's indifference to their misery.

They claimed their village was on the verge of being wiped out by the river.

Sarghuz villagers put up the hunger strike at the Mastuj Chowk, around 105km from Chitral in the north, and announced their strike would continue until death if the authorities didn't come to their help against the imminent destruction of their houses by the river.

Mohammad Akram, a striker, told Dawn that Sarghuz villagers went for the strike after seeing their repeated requests to the relevant government departments for help fall on deaf ears.

He said the river had changed direction of flow towards villages, including Sarghuz, and would wipe them out at the advent of summer.

The striker said villagers contacted their elected representatives for relief but were given the cold shoulder.

He said more and more people from Sarghuz, including women and children, would show up with each passing day to press the relevant authorities for saving their village from destruction.

Earlier, strikers reached Mastuj Chowk in a procession to set up the camp.