Flash floods damage crops, block road in Chitral

CHITRAL: Torrential rains early Thursday morning triggered flash floods in several seasonal streams in Chitral city and its outskirts, blocking roads and damaging standing crops and orchards.

The floodwater disrupted traffic on the Chitral-Garam Chashma Road at multiple points. Two vehicles were swept away by the flood torrents, but timely evacuation saved passengers from any casualties. The road closure left dozens of vehicles stranded on both sides, causing severe inconvenience to travelers.

According to the district administration, heavy machinery has been deployed to clear and restore the Garam Chashma Road, which will be reopened once weather conditions improve.Deputy Commissioner Lower Chitral, Rao Hashim Azim, along with assistant commissioners and NHA officials, visited the affected areas and inspected the ongoing clearance operations. He directed the departments concerned to speed up the work so that the hardships of the people could be minimised.

The DC assured residents that the district administration would not leave them alone in this difficult time and vowed to utilize all available resources to provide relief and rehabilitation. He added that the provision of food supplies, clean drinking water, and basic medical assistance to the affected communities was already underway. A press release from the district administration stated that NHA machinery was actively engaged in road clearance at multiple points along Garam Chashma.