CHITRAL NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

It is indeed testing time for District Govt. Chitral, provincial Govt. and Federal Govt. to prove their mettle. Recent natural calamity has not only destroyed the whole infrastructure throughout the District, but also caused loss of several precious lives Chitral the most backward area of Chitral with little resources was not prepared to meet this emergency situation. The unique Geographical position of Chitral makes it difficult for government agencies to reach the remote parts of the District in times of crisis. Even the developed countries of the world fail to provide relief to their people in such situation. Because, natural disasters are beyond the reason and cannot be checked.

Govt. has declared Chitral calamity hit area. Govt. has also decided to dispatch rescue team to the affected areas of the District, which will help the people in their rehabilitation effort and will provide relief goods to the people. The level of loss in the calamity hit area is very high. But the timely help by the government agencies will help lessen the sufferings of the people. Not only Govt. Agencies, but the role of NGOS cannot be overlooked. NGOS are rich in material resources and respond quickly to emergency situation. District Govt. has also sought help of Pak. Army to over come the situation. C-130 will relief goods and FOCUS helicopter have reached Chitral and soon the relief goods will be dispatched to the affected Chitral. Its seems, that District Govt. Chitral was ill prepared to face any emergency situation. It lacks resources like bulldozers, tractors manpower and other machinery to remove the debris from the roads. In most parts of the areas, roads were cleaned by the local people on the basis of self help. Similarly in Torkoh and Lotkoh Tehsils, dead bodies were also taken out from the avalanche by the local people. So, this catastrophe has also provided an opportunity to District Govt. to prepare itself to meet any challenge in future.

Restoration of infrastructure facilities takes time and during this period alternative sources are needed to take relief goods to the affected areas Torkoh and Lotkoh Tehsils. This is possible only by providing Helicopters, for quick disused of relief goods and services to the affected areas. Provision of Helicopters will help inspect the whole District and the injured to the D.H.Q Hospital Chitral. Medical teams can also be sent to the affected parts of the District. Efforts should also be geared up to open the land routes to connect the upper part with the central Chitral.

Lastly the way the local people of the affected areas met the situation with great courage and helped their brethren in the hour of need deserves precise and encouragement. We appreciate their courage and bravery for lunching rescue operation without any outside help. We pray to God for the success of victims on this sad occasion.



Bashir Hussain Azad
Chitral

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CHITRAL POWER COMPANY (CPC)

Now-a-days the people of Chitral are spending their lives between the devil and the deep Sea. With the disconnection from national gird, the whole valley drowned into the darkness again, this has been a usually routine practice with our valley for the last few years. The recent harsh winter with unexpected climatically changes have become a bolt from the blue in local Chitral whereas other people in the country are happy for rains as saying that these rains are good for the Kharif Crops. Because of our districts unique geographical status we could not be able to get the required materials from Peshawar, because the Afghan govt don�t allow such kind of things to carry into the road of Kunar Province. Here we need more than hundred pools and we don�t have a single one in the WAPDA office. To cover the whole Sub-division we have not more than a dozen line staff. Having looked into such bleak situation it seems that WAPDA will get more than a month to restore the electricity in Chitral. Awe should thing about this situation, I have only one suggestion, which is that our govt should give a special attention while looking into the realities and should establish an autonomous power company i.e. Chitral power company (CPC), this company should have enough power in Chitral, we should merge both WAPDA and SHYDO under one depth�s control, So in case of such emergency we can supply power, to the most important areas. CPC should not wholly be dependent of the power from the national grid, although that was a remarkable project executed by the former PPP govt but with the passage of time it proved to be not feasible. CPC should have enough funds to make its own power houses in future. The CPC is organized by the competent people would defiantly be in a position to ensure the supply of power to whole Chitral without any problems. Another good aspect would be that our youth can get a lot of job opportunities in a new company.

Having observed the potential of power in Chitral and also its consumption in the down country the donar agencies can also be attracted for funds. This is the only energy option we have for future life as well as we can eliminate poverty by supply cheep source of energy to the local people. If the people of Chitral would think about CPC and put it in front of the main stream parties before the next coming elections, we are sure that we can change the life of a common Chitrali through electricity. Vote for electricity must be in front of us all.

Bashir Hussain Azad.
Chitral.