FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Flash Floods July-August 2013, District Chitral
Chitral, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
August 4, 2013

In the wake of recent natural calamities caused by flash Floods in District Chitral, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, there occurred heavy damages to public and private properties, crops damages, life and livestock losses, communication and infrastructure damages. the District Administration has contemplated all possible efforts in time of disasters.

FIVE DAYS OF HAVOC BY FLASH FLOODS IN CHITRAL DISTRICT:

On July 31st, 2013 flash floods hit different areas of Chitral which were caused by torrential rains. This phenomenon continued for the last five days and there is a prediction of the rains in coming days as well. Throughout the District the flash floods have played havoc starting from the footsteps of LAWARI to South-East and North-West of the District.

The District has suffered losses to life and damages to public and private properties, communication and infrastructure damages etc., and has paralyzed the day-to-day life of the public at large. The District Administration in this time of need has put in all possible efforts to provide emergency response and relief to the affected communities with its limited resources and in the harsh terrain of District Chitral.

• KALASH VALLEY CHITRAL
Flash floods on 2-8-2013 have damaged the Rumboor – Chitral Road and the valley is completely disconnected from Chtiral. Damages to private properties and standing crops caused by the flood were reported. No casually have been reported so far. Detail assessment of the damages is in progress by the field revenue staff.

• TORKHOW VALLEY CHITRAL
Flash Flood out broke on 2-8-2013 in Shagram Nalla Torkhow sub division due to which the pipelines, irrigation channels were damaged and Shahgram-Rech road has been blocked for all sort of vehicular traffic. No life loss has been reported so far.

• JUGHOOR GOL CHITRAL
Quick assessment and rehabilitation work is in progress in the vicinity of the Nalla by the district administration Chitral. Drinking water has been provided to the community through Water Tankers of Municipal Committees, CS, CAA etc. Due to flash flood in Jughoor Nalla the following persons lost their lives on 3/8/2013:-

1. Bilqees (age-10 yrs) d/o Nazir r/o Jughoor Gol
2. Nakita BiBi (Age 8 yrs) d/o Nazir r/o Jughoor Gol
3. Rehmatullah (Age-10 yrs) s/o Muhammad Zaman r/o Jughoor Gol
The dead bodies of the deceased at vice 1 and 2 have been recovered while deceased at vice 3 has not been recovered till today.

Bridges One Bridge has been damaged and washed away due to flash Floods resultantly communication between the village and Chitral town is cut off.
HHs 250-300 appx HHs have been partially damaged due to flooding and vulnerable to collape. DC Chitral alongwith AC and DDMO have visited the area last night to monitor the situation.
Water Supply Schemes /
Irrigation Channel 1. Source of the water supply schemes have been destroyed due to flash flood in village Jughoor.
2. Sources of the Irrigation Channels in the affected areas have also been destroyed by the Flash Floods.

• ROI Village LOTKUH SUB TEHSIL – SUB DIVISION CHITRAL:
For the past five days after the torrential rains which started around midnight and continued for hours a flash flood of higher degree was reported in the Rui, Gologh and Gastani areas of Lotkuh Sub Tehsil. Emergency Relief in the form of FIs and NFIs for the 24-affected families were distributed by the District Administration also the population endangered by the possible wave of flash floods has been evacuated and shifted to safe places.

The flash floods have also damaged the infrastructure of the area, detail of which is as under:-
Bridges 4-Nos Bridges have been damaged and washed away due to flash Floods resultantly communication to different valleys have been cut off.
Roads 1. 7 KM Road from G/Chashma to Parabeg Valley have been washed away.
2. 5 KM road from G/Chasma leading to kandujal, Ovirk, Narkoret, Munor, Begusht valley is not accessible for vehicular traffic.
Water Supply Schemes /
Irrigation Channel 3. Source of the water supply schemes have been destroyed due to flash flood in village Roie.

4. Sources of the Irrigation Channels in the affected areas have also been destroyed by the Flash Floods.

Detail of damages is as under:-

S. No Description Number Status
1 Houses / Residential Units 24 Fully Damaged
2 Houses / Residential Units 07 Partially Damaged
3 School 01 Fully Damaged
4 Masjid 01 Fully Damaged
5 Jamat Khana 01 Fully Damaged
6 Drinking Water Supply System - Fully Damaged
7 Civil Irrigation Channel - Fully Damaged
8 Standing Crops of Potatos, Wheat etc. - Fully Damaged
NOTE: Detailed Damage Assessment Report will be furnished on receipt from revenue field staff and shared later on priority basis.

• DROSH GOL – SUB DIVISION CHITRAL:
Due to flash flood of 2-8-2013 in Drosh Nalla following damages to the properties have been report by the field staff:-

S# Name of affectee Remarks
1. Ghulam Rahim s/o Ghuldan Afghan Refugee Fully Damaged
2. Azam S/o Khaista Gul r/o Dadkhanduri Completely damaged
5. Ali Khan s/o Pinin Khan r/o Dadkhanduri Partially Damaged
6. Abdur Rehman Adv. r/o Dadkhan duri Partially damaged
7. Saeed Ullah s/o Pahlawan r/o Dadkhan duri Partially Damaged
8. Tiger r/o Dadkhanduri Partially damaged
9. Asif Iqbal s/o Zarwali r/o Dadkhanduri Partially damaged

As reported by the field staff the following persons were drowned in the Nalla while collecting woods:-
1. Muhammad Zarin s.o bagh Muhammad (Afg. Refugee) saidur Drosh
2. Kainat d/o Fidai r/o Wardap Drosh
3. Sadiq Afghan Refugee present Kesu
4. Faiz Muhammad s/o Khan Muhammad r/o Osiak Drosh
The dead bodies of the persons at vice No. 1 to 3 have been recovered.

• ORGUCH VILLAGE
S. No Description Number Status
1 Houses / Residential Units 08 Fully Damaged
2 Shops 02 Fully Damaged
3 Masjids 02 Fully Damaged
NOTE: Detailed Damage Assessment Report will be furnished on receipt from revenue field staff and shared later on priority basis.

• KOGHUZI GOL – SUB DIVISION CHITRAL:
There was a heavy flash flood in Koghuzi Gol on 2.8.2013 causing damage to the following persons, however, no life loss has been reported so far:-

S.No Name and Parentage House Damage
Fully Damaged Partially Damaged
1 Irfanuddin s/o Sultanuddin - PD
2 Nizamuddin s/o Syed Aman - PD
3 Sher Wali Shah s/o Taib Shah - PD
4 M. Riza Khan s/o - PD
Note: Assessment is in progress and detailed report will be furnished on receipt.

• RESHUN – MASTUJ SUB DIVISION:
Flash Floods occurred three times in Reshune Gol and in all 364 HHs have badly suffered generally and 35 HHs damaged fully. The residents of the damaged houses have been shifted to safe locations in the village on self help basis for the night. The District Administration alongwith complete government departments had visited the site on 2/8/2013 and distributed Relief package to the affected families. As per initial report received from Assessment teams at Reshune the following persons have been died due to Flash Flood:-

1. Javid (Age-8 yrs) s/o Jamil r/o Singoor at present Reshune Gole
2. Mst. Zubaida (age 7 yrs) d/o Ahmad r/o bakamak present at Reshune Gol

Besides above the following persons sustained injuries due to floods:-

1. Wife of jamil Gujjur
2. Navid s/o Syed Akram Gujjur
3. Khan s/o Mian Gujjur
4. Mst. Pari d/o Syed Akram Gujjur
5. Abdul hamid s/o Syed Akram Gujjur
6. Wife of Rehmat
7. Yousaf s/o Khan Gujjur

Detail of damages is as under:-

S. No Description Number Status
1 Houses / Residential Units 35 Fully Damaged
2 Shops 13 Fully Damaged
4 Bridges 04 Fully Damaged
5 Vehicles 04 Carried Away
6 Houses / Residential Units Unknown To be reported after assessment for partial damages.
7 Livestock / Cattle 200 Assessment from Livestock Department and Revenue Field Staff is in progress the livestock loss toll may raise.
8 Water Supply Channel - Fully Damaged
9 Civil Irrigation Channel - Fully Damaged

10 Reshun Power House - Flooded but no major damaged occurred as per reports
11 Standing Crops - Assessment from Agriculture Department is in progress
NOTE: Detailed Damage Assessment Report will be furnished by revenue staff and shared later on priority basis.

RELIEF ACTIVITIES OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION TO THE FLASH FLOOD AFFECTEES:

For the past five days of the flash floods the District Administration is alert round the clock and officers are visiting the affected areas in Chitral. The affected population has been evacuated from the damaged houses to further avoid any mishap and the Relief activity is being carried out on emergency basis since the first day along with local NGO’s and disaster response team of Border Police which has been deputed in the villages to carry out relief activities. The DC Chitral further directed and deputed the concerned line departments to restore and repair the damages on priority basis to avoid inconvenience to the public at large. On the other hand the local and INGO’s who are working in Chitral has also been directed to carry on and provide relief to the public.

The district administration is facing problems in clearing the debris carried in the flash floods from the mountains, which has blocked the streams causing the course of water to divert from time to time. This phenomenon of water is damaging the populations which are on the banks of rivers and streams. There are numerous cases of such issues in Drosh, Joghur, Reshun and many other places where the tributaries join the main river in the valley.

• DEBRIS CLEARING IN DROSH
Additional Assistant Commissioner, Drosh is round the clock working on the site of the flash floods hit areas to clear the debris off the river bed for the smooth outflow of the water. The district administration does not have any machinery to carry out this relief operation for which private contractors have been hired to use excavator @ PKR-4500/- per hour under the supervision of engineers from Communication & Works Department (C&W). Soon after the debris cleaning the direction of water flow will be streamlined to the middle of the stream bed which will save hundreds of houses from the devastation caused by the rapid changing course of water. Furthermore the relief items in form of F.I’s and NFI’s have been already distributed by the District Administration along with surplus backup supply to cater any further needs if arise. The drinking water channels providing water to the households from the streams have been severally damaged due to flash floods therefore to cater the needs of the population are fulfilled by the water tankers arranged by the district administration on day night basis.

• DEBRIS CLEARING IN JOGHUR
The population if the village Joghur has been affected by the changing course of flash floods water which hits the Joghur Gol (Nullah) on intervals of few hours’ breaks. Each wave of flash floods sweeps down debris from the mountains continuously which diverts the water from one side to another. The flash floods have washed away almost all retaining & flood protection walls thus endangering almost 250 to 300 household units which have been partially damaged by the flooding and making them vulnerable to in habitat due to further possible disaster in case of structure collapsing. The Deputy Commissioner late night around 12Am of August 4th, 2013 along with A.C, DDMO and border police force visited the village to monitor the damages and flooding of populated households. He directed the A.C to deploy excavators and C&W to clear the debris which is causing the changing course of water flow in different direction endangering the population on both the sides of the stream which is having a very aggressive and high level of flash flood occurring with intervals of few hours for the past five days. The team of district administration with the privately hired contractors and operators of excavation machineries are trying hard to reach the site for debris clearing but have not yet succeeded due to high level and gushing flash flood waters. As soon as the water level subsides and there is a window of few hours the team will have carried out clearance of the debris which can save at least the partially damaged households from further damages. The drinking water is supplied by the district administration through water tankers deputed for the area on 24hours basis.

• RESHUN VILLAGE – SUB DIVISION MASTUJ
The flash floods which started on July 31st are still occurring with intervals which have affected more than 365 household units in the Reshun village only. The flash floods in the said tributary of river Mastuj has devastated public and rivate properties along with communication lines, power transmission lines, flooded the Reshun Power House with Debris closing it down, bridges washed away disrupting the access to the population. The flash floods have brought down huge stones and rocks which need to be cleared and blasted. These rocks and stones are diverting the water course causing damages to the collars of bridge on the Main Reshun – Boni road. The district administration is acquiring blasting material to carry out professional and controlled blasts to clear the huge stones causing blockage under the bridge.

The Public Health Engineering Department has acquired the materials to restore the drinking water supply schemes to the population whereas the district administration is providing clean drinking water from Boni and Chitral town in water tankers. The F.Is and NFI’s in immediate relief has been distributed among the affected population and the A.C Mastuj has been working round the clock and monitoring and supervising the Line departments in the relief work.

PHYDO had been requested by the DC Chitral to send it team to restore the power transmission lines and clear the Reshun Power house for commissioning to start producing & supplying of electricity to Sub Division Mastuj which is having no power for the last five days.

• BHAMBURETE & RUMBUR VILLAGES OF KALASH VALLEY
The flash floods have caused havoc in the Kalash valley causing severe damages to public and private property, disrupting the communication system, washing away the access routes at different places, decommissioning the micro hydel power houses either due to debris or due to damaging the intake structures of the water channels, clean drinking water channels have also been damaged. Road has been swept away by flash flood at several locations which has completely disconnection the valley from rest of the district. C&W Department has been directed to restore the roads which if not restored in time can cause shortage of food and necessities in the kalash valleys. Whereas, the Chitral Border Police is trying to transport the food packages for the affectees through rugged mountainous routes on foot.

KASHIF QAYUM KHAN

District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO),
For
Deputy Commissioner / District Relief Commissioner,
Chitral