MANSEHRA: Families affected by recent flash floods in the Kandia valley of Upper Kohistan have demanded the government to reconstruct roads and bridges as people were going without food and other basic amenities.
“The houses, roads, bridges, and micro hydropower projects were swept away in recent floods but the provincial government totally ignored this,” said a resident, Aftab Quraishi, told reporters on Monday.
Led by Quraishi, a group of the affected people said that the government was yet to initiate relief and rehabilitation activities in the valley, and as a result, people were suffering from waterborne and skin diseases.
“The Kandia Road, which was washed away in the flood, is yet to be restored for traffic and goods and other essential commodities couldn’t be taken there through other routes,” he said.He said that families whose houses were washed away in the floodwater were living with their relatives, which also triggered the skin and waterborne diseases that affected people in various parts of the valley.
The resident said that a Chinese company and Wapda had announced plans to rebuild the road, but that may take a long time.“The government should immediately airdrop foods, medicines and other essential commodities to avoid deaths from hunger,” Quraishi said.
