JAD FOUNDATION Flash Flood Update from Chitral Dated August 4, 2015 (continence of our report July 23, and 25, 2015) As widespread flooding devastates large parts of the Chitral District, paralyzing life in Mulkoh, Torkoh, Mustuj, breap, yarkhun, Lot Koh, Karimabad, Akraki, Drosh, Ayon, and the Kalash valleys, government experts are putting most of the blame on what, in climate change lingo, is described as “Glacial Lake Outburst Floods” or GLOFs. GLOFs are floods caused by valley glaciers melting because of warmer temperatures in the summer months, and forming lakes – hidden or visible – which then break out of the moraine and ice that dams them. The water gushes below into the valleys at great speeds, destroying everything in its path. The authorities and some organizations are misreporting about the recent events, quoting it as the outcome of GLOF, are either not aware about the geophysical condition and geology of Chitral or they have no understanding about the causes of GLOF. For the correction of record, it is to mention that it was an erratic torrential rains with thunderstorms and it caused to flash floods. The flood destroy houses and buildings, roads, bridges, irrigation and hydel power units water channels, watermills, drinking water supply line and carry soil away from valuable farming land. Floods also contaminated existing rivers and springs water and other sources of water, lead to diseases. There are many causes of the recent destruction. It may be the monsoon waves shifting from south east to extreme North West owing to climate change. The warm monsoon cloud and the western cold cloud coincided at Chitral resulted to unprecedented rains over the steep slope of towering mountain. The other major cause of the recent destruction is the past many decades massive deforestation in the watersheds of the Rivers and HEAD OFFICE: LIAISON OFFICE Shahi Masjd Road, Opp. Tarichmir view Hotel M-3, Muhammad Plaza, Street 39, Block-4, G-10/4 Phone. +92943-412461 M. +923349534503 Islamabad-Pakistan. JAD FOUNDATION encroachment of the water courses due to poor habitation planning. But on the chopping on the mountain slopes continued, which has dramatically changed the micro climate in this region. Tree and plants help absorb too much run off water on the slopes. Forests are cut or burned down, water from rainfall flows down barren land and produced mudslides. Vegetative cover too has been denuded, due to the ever increasing number of ruminants razing in the erstwhile rangelands, now denuded. On the flooding will continue, carrying massive sediment into our river beds with every year, which in turn adds to the flooding in lower Punjab and Sindh The Hindu Kush range which passes through Chitral, is made up of towering mountains with little greenery, poor forest and vegetation; the runoff water on the 70-90 degree steep slopes at the height of 10,000 to 20,000 feet fall below into the nullahs, streams and rivers, it generate terrifying force undulating heavy boulders, rocks, soft soil, all with high magnitude and intensity below into the nullahs, streams and rivers cutting through the mountains However, this time the erratic torrential rains have gripped Chitral for the last three weeks. The Torrential rains triggered 86 times in different pockets during this period, destroying public and private properties, fatalities to human lives, cattle, livestock, flora, fauna and biodiverse. Brief Breakup of the damages. 1 Casualties: according to official report 35 people lost their lives in different places in Chitral during the flood event. 2 Injuries: over 50 people sustained multiple injuries during the flood. 3 Cattle and livestock lost. 10,000 estimated, livestock in thousands. 4 Fruits bearing tree and forest tree lost: 500,000 (safe estimate). 5 timbers lost in flooding: One billion PKR (estimated) 6 Houses destroyed: Fully destroyed 651 Partially destroyed 548 Total houses destroyed 1199 Note: information from most remote areas (like, tarich, yarkhoon) not available. 7 Critical infrastructure: 7.1 Roads: Main Garumchshma Road leading to Shasileem-Afghan border, the famous pass of Afghan cold war is cut off at Shasha-18 km from Chitral City over 23 days and closed for all traffic, even for the pedestrians. This road is strategically very important for supplies of Pakistan Army deployed at the Afghan borders for security purposes. The road is also connecting Karimabad and Arkari valleys. Over 100,000 people from these valleys are stranded over three week with HEAD OFFICE: LIAISON OFFICE Shahi Masjd Road, Opp. Tarichmir view Hotel M-3, Muhammad Plaza, Street 39, Block-4, G-10/4 Phone. +92943-412461 M. +923349534503 Islamabad-Pakistan. JAD FOUNDATION no supply of essential commodities of daily use and medicines for patients. Shoghor Bridge connecting karimabad valley was washed away on the 15th July 2015. 7.2 Main GB and Wakhan Corridor Road from Kuragh is closed for all traffic and pedestrians. Over 200,000 population of sub Division Mastuj are stranded for last three week with no road communication and supply of essential commodities of daily use from main commercial- hub- chitral city. Inter-sub division and village to village roads are also blocked and people of the division are forced to live in Stone Age life. 7.3 Kalash valleys ( Bumburat, Birir and Rumbur) the main tourist attraction are closed for all traffic and it is getting difficult for the communities even to walk on foot. Kalash and local communities’ economy is based on tourism. Over 20,000 people from these valleys lost their livelihood, in addition to serious destruction of their properties, corps and other infrastructures. 7.3 Over 500 km long, 60 main road in different valleys are destroyed, including 75 km Buni mattel road, 35km garumchashma road, 75 km Chitral Peshawar Road. 7.4 Bridges: over 80 suspension and jeep able bridges stated to be destroyed, forcing over three hundred thousand people to be stranded with their villages and valleys. 7-5 Pakistan Army and AKDN helicopters evacuated over 800 stranded people from different valleys. 7.6 Irrigation Channels: 13 government irrigation channels destroyed, while the community maintained irrigation channels destroyed are over 300. 7.7 Water supply scheme: 93 water supply scheme across the district are reported completely destroyed, people are forced to drink contaminated flood water of rivers and springs. 8 Schools and hospital/police station, banks, petrol pumps, hotel, worship places, shops and vehicles destroyed. According to the basic information ( but no proper assessment) 10 school building, 3 health facilities, two police stations, two banks and four petrol pumps, eight hotel, 20 worship and culture places, 200 shops and 80 vehicle have been destroyed. 9 Agriculture – Over 1200 acres standing crops have been damaged. Estimated damages to crops: Maize: 5820 hectares cultivated. 102 hectares damaged. 2% loss Potato: 1427 hectares are cultivated. 81% damaged. Orchards: 358 hectares are cultivated. 60 hectares damaged. Rice: 2093 hectares cultivated. 19 hectares damaged. Tomato: 104 hectares are cultivated. 8 hectares damaged. Okra: 20 hectares cultivated. 1 hectare damaged. Pease: 154 hectares are cultivated. 11 hectares damaged.1 The damage of potatoes and green Pease are the major cash crops for the people of Garumchshama and Karimabad. According to the previous year data, the community in these valleys sustained loss of over 1.5 billion PKR due to damage of crops and non-availability of road to reach to market for sale. 1 PDMA KPK 24TH July, 2015. HEAD OFFICE: LIAISON OFFICE Shahi Masjd Road, Opp. Tarichmir view Hotel M-3, Muhammad Plaza, Street 39, Block-4, G-10/4 Phone. +92943-412461 M. +923349534503 Islamabad-Pakistan. JAD FOUNDATION 10 Electricity: over 35 community maintained hydel power units are either destroyed or non- functional due to destruction of channels or technical reason. One mega power station completely damaged forcing the people to be in dark with no access to communication and information technology. 11 Health The health experts worry about a crisis that could be looming with countless smells of livestock/cattle died in the flooding and hundreds of people living in temporary shelters. Doctors have already seen cases of diarrhoea, skin allergies and fungus, and are worried that the contaminated waters are creating conditions for the outbreak of serious diseases. “The chances of cholera, jaundice and leptospirosis spreading are high. 12. Food Security and malnutrition: The poverty stricken mountain community of Chitral are highly prone to food security and serious malnutrition. Over 1000 families (about 70,000) people lost their survival kits, crops, cattle, land, fruit and domestic belonging. The coping mechanism is subject to rehabilitation of the communities till the next cropping season to enable them to survive on their own sources. It is pertinent to mentioned here that the local copping mechanism is very good, people help each other and support the affected people. However, the overall copping mechanism is very poor owing to poverty and lack of resources. The communities who are not directed affected from the flood as per traditional assessment, are also highly vulnerable and insecure to food shortage in the coming season. The cost of commodities increased to double due to non- availability of roads and bridges and reduced their coping system to that extend. 13. Shelter: 1200 families are shelter less and staying in the temporary arrangement with families and friends in tents. It is not possible to survive in the tent in the extreme winter when the temperature will reduced to -10 degree Celsius after October. According to climatologists, climate change and its consequences will become more intense and ferocious in the coming days/years. In case torrential rain ends, there is another high risk of raising temperatures that will cause Glacier Lake Flood Outbreak (GLOF). There are over 50 potentially high risk lake in the region and continually damaging the people for over one and half decade.