CHITRAL: The only road to the Safed Arkari Valley in Chitral remain blocked since the last one month due to heavy snowfall and avalanches causing severe hardships for more than 12,000 people residing in the valley.
More than 12,000 people of the valley are still stranded and have to travel 70km long distance littered with the huge avalanches on foot to reach district headquarter Chitral, people of the area when asked informed APP Chitral correspondent.
The local residents including women and children on self-help basis started clearing the road as they were disappointed by the provincial government and other concerned officials to clear the only road to the area of snow and boulders. The villagers said that the local administration had reserved only one tractor to clear the road blocked by snow and avalanches, which takes months. They said that the people were stranded in the valley and have no basic facilities of life including schools, hospitals or even a dispensary, telephone and mobile. The villagers said that the area was also facing a severe shortage of food items adding that they have to walk on feet for two days to bring floor bag from Mulagono. Logging complains about their miseries, they said that the local are facing severe starvation. Women of the area said that the road remain blocked since the last one month, however, no one there or bothered to inquire about their sufferings. They appealed to the M Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to look into the matters and take appropriate steps in addressing the problem being faced by the people of the area. Women of the area registered their protest on a new way by clearing road from snow on self-help basis. They alleged that provincial government badly failed to give relief to affected people and Imran Khan is busy in sit-in against elected Prime Minister. APP
