Hope floats
\n BUNER
\nFor Aziz Khan, a 53-year-old fisherman of Pir Baba Buner, the roar of floodwaters in the dead of night was the sound of everything he had built being washed away in a jiffy.
\n\u201cBy dawn of the fateful day of August 15, our homes, fish farms, livestock, roads, agriculture and peach orchards were all gone,\u201d Aziz says as his eyes filled with quiet disbelief as he watches his neighbours sift through the rocks and muddy remnants of their lives.
\n\u201cI am associated with fish business for the last 20 years at Pir Baba where shops of the commodity were swept away by the gushing water, leaving behind gloom and uncertainty,\u201d he said while fingering to his destroyed trout fish shop amid scattered rocks all around.
\n\u201c I was planning to purchase a plot for house at Sowari Buner but the cruel floods have tarnished my dreams\u201d he said with sobbing eyes.
\nHoping to restart the business in a month, Aziz was optimistic that timely Govt. assistance package will be a key to ease his sufferings and help in rebuilding of his shop.
\nAziz is one of thousands in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) whose lives were upended this month by recent torrential monsoon rains and flash floods that wreaked havoc to human lives and properties.
\nWith over 450 lives lost and dozens of villages submerged in Buner, Shangla, and Swat, this disaster has left many homeless and cut off some still unreachable due to collapsed bridges and washed-out roads, making relief operations difficult.
\nAccording to KP Communication and Works Department, 331 roads of 493 kilometers and 32 bridges were destroyed by floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for which Rs9.45 billion will be required. These destroyed roads include 74 in Swat, 43 in Buner and 41 in Swabi.
\nAmidst the widespread devastation, there is a glimmer of hope. Relief efforts led by the Federal and KP governments have begun to reach even the most isolated corners of the province.
\nFor the first time since the floods water receded, victims like Aziz say they have seen substantial relief efforts by the Govt agencies.
\nSoon after floods, helicopters buzz through the skies of Swat, Shanga and Buner where they delivered ration bags and medical supplies to steanded communities.
\nEmergency camps have been set up in schools and community centers, where families gather around small cooking fires, sharing meals and stories of survival.
\nPDMA official told APP that biggest challenge was logistics. Roads are washed away and bridges are down. But we are moving fast to support flood victims quickly.
\nBesides thousands of ration bags and water bottles, he said food packets were also distributed, along with blankets, and medicines. He said Pakistan Army and Rescue 1122 continue 24\/7 operations, evacuating families from high-risk flood areas. For many, these first responders were the only lifeline that saved many precious lives.
\nShagufta Bibi, 35, a local volunteer in Sowari Buner, says she has never seen her village like this. \u201cPeople have lost everything. But when the rescue organizations came, we finally felt there was hope. Still, tents and food aren\u2019t enough and people need assurance this won\u2019t be our reality every year.\u201d
\nHamza Khan, PMLN Nowshera President told APP on Sunday that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was personally mointoring relief operations in flood hit areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
\nHe said Prime Minister while distributing compsation cheques among floods victims at Buner has pledged immediate aid and long-term rebuilding. \u201cWe stand united in the face of this calamity. Our first duty is to save lives and restore dignity,\u201d PM said.
\nHe appreciated Prime Minister for announcing the donation of one month\u2019s salary from the federal cabinet to aid relief efforts, directing the federal institutions to intensify efforts to assist rain and flood-affected people in KP.
\nBesides restoration of electricity in flood hit districts, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has been directed by the Prime Minister not to differentiate between provincial or national highways and opening routes for relief must be the top priority.
\nMinistry of Communications, NHA, and FWO were tasked to ensure repair of highways and bridges in affected areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
\nOn PM directions, NDMA dispatched a consignment of supplies included tents, blankets, 7KVA generators, de-watering pumps, ration bags, and medicines to Buner.
\nElectricity has been restored on all feeders in Swat, 90 percent feeders in Pirbaba, 95 per cent Gokand Buner and 81pc feeders in Poran Shangla.
\nChief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur echoed the sentiment during a visit to flood-stricken areas of Swabi and reiterated that KP Govt will not leave flood victims alone in this crisis,\u201d. \u201cEvery resource at our disposal is being mobilized.\u201d
\nKey measures of package include Rs. 2 million compensation for families of the deceased, Rs. 500,000 for those injured, Rs. 1 billion allocated under the \u201cFood Stamp\u201d scheme, giving Rs. 15,000 to every affected family, special martyr\u2019s package for helicopter crew who died in Bajaur relief operations, Rs. 20 billion supplementary grant for reconstruction and development and Rs. 5 billion allocated for immediate relief and rehabilitation across the province.
\nIn addition, Rs. 180.3 million has been approved for police martyrs and injured personnel, while Rs. 1.38 billion has been earmarked for critical infrastructure like the Kambar Bypass Road in Lower Dir.
\nThe Chief Minister also announced fast-tracked deployment of officers to affected districts, a province-wide cleanup campaign, and immediate restoration of water supply and road connectivity.
\nThe environment experts warned that financial aid alone won\u2019t solve the problem. Environmentalists are calling for a complete overhaul of Pakistan\u2019s disaster preparedness and climate policy.
\n\u201cThis is not an isolated incident,\u201d says Dr. Shafiqur Rehman Khan, a hydrologist and climate expert. \u201cWe are seeing the effects of unchecked deforestation, poor water management, and outdated infrastructure. Unless we act now, such floods will keep happening at every monsoon season.\u201d
\nDr. Shafiq Khan\u2019s concerns echo in the muddy alleys of Swat and Buner, where many residents had only recently rebuilt homes destroyed in the 2022 floods. Their frustration is palpable and the fear that rebuilding again may just be temporary.
\nDespite everything, communities are rallying. Youth like Shagufta organize food drives and help elderly neighbours find shelter. In Shangla, families share what little food they have with those still waiting for aid. \u201cWe\u2019ve learned to survive together,\u201d says Aziz. \u201cBut now we need our leaders and Govt to stand with us, not just visit us.\u201d
\nAs waters started receding and the muddy and stones devastation reveals the full scale of the tragedy, the government faces a daunting task not just to rebuild homes, bridges and roads, but to rebuild trust and resilience ahead of the winter.
\nFor people like Aziz and Shagufta, the promise of support is not just a policy but it\u2019s a lifeline. A sign that light even in the darkest hours, they are not forgotten and created hope to vulnerable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hope floats BUNER For Aziz Khan, a 53-year-old fisherman of Pir Baba Buner, the roar of floodwaters in the dead of night was the sound of everything he had built being washed away in a jiffy. \u201cBy dawn of the fateful day of August 15, our homes, fish farms, livestock, roads, agriculture and peach orchards […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":498733,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-498717","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n