by Engr. Said Mahmood

On July 29th 2010 flood affectedmany Union councils of District Kohistan. A team of three persons namely Said Mahmmod, Ishtiaq hussain and akmal has been sent for initial assessment in order to identify the needs of the peoples. We have faced the first slide which block the road just a 2 to 3 Km on karakoram High way from office and almost a Km beyond from the Lahore Stream. After this we had started our journey to Dubiar on foot on KKH and during our way we have passed 6 big slides and many small ones including the pavement of Shulgara bridge and a huge mud slide just a half km beyond the shulgara bridge. The Shulgara bridge is also paved and a deep gully of about 40 feet is left. The local community of sholgara Bankad of District kohistan has made a temporary bridge from electric pole which is only for walking commuters. We saw a huge flock of trucks standing near that bridge with a hope that the bridge will be rehabilitated and only then they will move on. We have also observed that trucks contain potatoes and pees packed in it which they transport from Gilgit to lower districts.

It was 8:30 when we reached to bankad Bazar and decide to stay there. During our stay we have observe that Peoples from affected areas come to this market place and purchase the items from there but this market could not fulfill their needs because of the Demand & supply universal law.

During out travel we have also observed the many flocks of peoples coming toward besham from different affected areas of Kohistan like Union council Ranoliya and Dubair valley. These peoples are continuously traveling for 8 to 10 hrs approximately and are coming at a very dangerous and irregular hilly topography for food and other items from Besham market.

In the morning we reached to Dubair bazaar in an hour by crossing a huge slide with a huge deep gully just a km from bankad market. When we reached to Dubair market we become so much surprise to see that a stream with a deep gully of approx 70 feet have been replace with the 25 houses of Bela and except 8 shops all were washed away. When we complete our work here in Dubair market place then we have decided that to go to that places and villages where flood affects many of the H.Hs. According to the Peoples and local community persons two Ucs were affected due to flood i.e Dubair and Ranoliya. Dubair is not accessible as the bridge was washed away by the flood and manually it was very much risky to approach to that valley by crossing Dubair stream but according to them we can go to UC Ranoliya.

We started our journey up hill the mountain from Duabir to Ranoliya. It was not a proper track neither a pathway. It was a steep mountain and we are going uphill and sometime starting climbing when a rigid stone come across our way. There was also bunch of bushes which also creating a lot of problem in visibility of the way. Moreover it was a very difficult, dangerous and risky path to Ranoilya so we suspend our journey at an elevation of 800 feet and decided to go back.

Most of the community members told to us that flood has taken away each and every thing from us. We lost our houses, property, daily usage items, our shops, livestock and timber. We don’t have accessibility to other areas due to paved roads and fully damaged bridges. We have shortage of food items and in coming few days it will be completely finished. We don’t have shelter to stay for the night and some of us went to other union councils to live with their relatives some are living in the open places. Before the floods we have MHPs, water mills but now we lost these things. We don’t have clean drinking water, shelters or tents and food stuff. Our economy went to zero due to the flood and now we don’t have any thing to do at this survival stage. 3 union councils of Dobair and union council Ranolia are the most affected areas including some portion of the bela 1 and bela 2 in Jijal union councils. They shared the names of most affected villages in Dobair valley and ranolia valley. About the infrastructure community told us that we don’t have any thing especially in communites who were closed to Dobair stream and ranolia stream. Most of the community members told us that for drinking they are using dirty water of rains and defecating in open places

As the area is not easy to access due to broken bridges and submerged roads most of the community members were coming to Bunkud or Besham to get some food stuff for their childrens.
Almost all the community members demanded for the food stuff on priorities basis for the survival of their lives. They insisted to install a rope trolley on the stream due to which they take more then 5 hours to come to Dobair. Community stipulate for the shelters for the families who lost their houses on immediate basis. At the moment communities insisting to provide food items and erects rope trolleys. Community was too much worried for the food stuff and almost community have shortage of food items and few of them told us that are taking food twice in a day and in coming days if such situation remained then not possible to take once in a day.

Dobair bazaar found completely destroyed including more then 150 shops and near to 180 houses. In a colony area in dubair which remained safe more then three families are living in a very small houses.
Accessibility is the major problem and roads are found submerged in the streams. Bridges are found completely destroyed.

Most affected area of the two valleys

Ranolia valley

Total population
17000 in which 15 % is directly affected reaming indirectly due to shortage of food items.
Most affected villages
Tehsil, Kouz kalay, Barkalay, Kachoo bela including their hamlets

Houses damaged
More then 500

Jijal union council
Total population
11000 in which three villages are mostly affected
Bela 1, bela 2 and kokyal

Dobair Valley

Total population 30000 in which 20 are directly affected other indirectly due to non accessibility and shortage of food items

Most affected Villages
Banair, Sangai, dobair bala, dobair kala, saydan bela, dobair khas, dobair payen.