Flash flood sweeps away homes, destroys crops in Chitral

CHITRAL: A flash flood triggered by a burst glacier lake outburst (GLOF) in Lower Chitral’s Golen Gol valley has destroyed crops and swept away several homes, mosques, irrigation, water supply system and a powerhouse, reported The News.

The flood left residents of over 500 homes stranded in the hills as it washed away four suspension bridges and three kilometres of a lone road linking it to Booni Road, cutting off the Golen valley from the rest of the area.

The flood occurred after a glacier exploded in Golen valley, some 20 kilometres away from the Lower Chitral district headquarters following rain at 8am. A 108-megawatt powerhouse in the valley was also shut down after the flood-damaged it besides destroying irrigation and water supply system in Mori Paiyeen, Barghozi and Kojo.

Crops and vegetables were also destroyed in the floods, causing huge losses to the growers in the area. It may be mentioned that officials of the Met Department and UNDP GLOF project had issued a warning on June 19 last about the possible glacial outburst in the area.

Last year in July, flashfloods left at least 70 people stranded after Jam Ashpar glacier burst overnight. The floods had wreaked havoc, taking down houses, livestock and roads. In 2015, a similar incident killed at least three people and caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure and affected more than a quarter of a million in Chitral.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Minorities, Wazirzada visited the road destroyed by the floods in Koghozi and Mashlake. He assured the stranded people that rescue operation would be expedited to save precious lives and properties of the people.

Meanwhile, Manzoor Ahmad of the Met Department and Syed Naveed Shah of the UNDP GLOF project predicted that more glaciers could burst and cause floods if the prevailing heatwave continued in the area.

Originally published in The News