Flash Floods Wreak Havoc in Lower and Upper Chitral, Damaging Homes, Crops and Infrastructure
Chitral Times Report
Chitral: Torrential rains triggered by cloudbursts between Tuesday and Wednesday night caused widespread devastation across parts of Lower and Upper Chitral, destroying homes, farmland, orchards, roads and public infrastructure, while displacing dozens of families. Authorities and relief organizations have launched emergency response operations in the affected areas.
In Lower Chitral, the worst-hit areas included Broz, Ayun and Drosh, where flash floods swept through villages including Goldah, Seen Korom, Kor, Mordeh and Osiak. More than a dozen houses were completely destroyed, while dozens of other homes and shops sustained partial damage. Residents managed to evacuate to safer locations after receiving timely warnings, preventing any loss of life.
The floods caused extensive damage to agriculture, burying hundreds of acres of standing maize, rice and sorghum crops under mud and debris. Orchards containing pear, apple, grape, peach and pomegranate trees were also severely affected. Dozens of livestock, including cattle, were washed away, while four vehicles and two motorcycles were buried beneath flood debris.
The disaster has also triggered an acute drinking water shortage. Water supply pipelines were destroyed, natural springs and streams were clogged with mud, and the Chitral River became heavily contaminated, making its water unsuitable for consumption.
Two mosques were destroyed by the floods, while washed-out link roads further complicated access to affected villages and delayed relief efforts.
The flash floods also blocked the Chitral-Peshawar Highway at several locations near Broz, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides. However, the National Highway Authority (NHA) deployed heavy machinery and succeeded in reopening the road to traffic within a short time.
Meanwhile, the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) Chitral has begun supplying drinking water to affected communities through water tankers. Volunteers from Alkhidmat Foundation have started distributing food assistance, while teams from the Mohammad Talha Mahmood Foundation are conducting field surveys to assess damages and identify relief requirements.
Floods Also Hit Yarkhun Valley in Upper Chitral
In Upper Chitral, heavy rainfall triggered flash floods in several streams across the villages of Phashk, Sheik and Lasht in Union Council Yarkhun, causing significant damage to houses, agricultural land and standing crops.
According to initial reports, the house of Syed Bulbul Ali Shah in Phashk was completely destroyed, while the homes of Saadat Hussain and Manzoor Ali Shah suffered partial damage. In Sheik village, several houses belonging to Mohammad Iqbal, Daulat Panah, Syed Qeemat Ali Shah, the late Syed Khawand Shah, Sherdar Khan, Mohammad Murad, Taleem Panah, Shams Panah, Zumrad Hassan and other residents also sustained partial damage.
Large areas of farmland, orchards and standing crops were damaged, leaving local farmers with financial losses amounting to millions of rupees. Residents have appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government, the district administration and relevant departments to immediately survey the affected areas, assess the losses and provide emergency relief and financial compensation to the affected families.
On the directives of Deputy Commissioner Upper Chitral Mohammad Imran Khan, Assistant Commissioner Mastuj Afzal Ali visited the flood-hit areas of Sheik, Lashdan and Phashk to inspect the damage.
During the visit, officials confirmed damage to residential houses, link roads, drinking water supply lines, irrigation channels, flood protection embankments and other essential infrastructure. The Assistant Commissioner met affected residents and reviewed the extent of losses on the ground.
He directed the Executive Engineers of the Communication & Works (C&W) Department, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and Irrigation Department to ensure the immediate restoration of damaged roads, water supply systems, irrigation channels and protective embankments. He also instructed all relevant departments to prepare comprehensive damage assessment reports and submit them to the district administration without delay.
The district administration stated that all available resources are being utilized to restore essential services and provide maximum possible relief to the affected population.
