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After severe flash floods entered the outskirts of Skardu and Shigar districts of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) on Thursday, the local administration has failed to arrange any rescue or help for the general public, Skardu TV, a local news source from PoGB, reported.
The flood destroyed private property and houses worth millions. Notably, floods in these specific areas are severe, as most of the local population primarily depends upon agricultural occupations for income. The Skardu TV report claimed the water had entered acres of land, local houses, and farms with harvest-ready crops. Moreover, it has destroyed over a dozen houses and also destroyed the road infrastructure in the surrounding, area, which was already in bad condition. A local from the Skardu district said in the report, "I sometimes don't understand what the benefit of all this so-called rescue effort is if this will all goes in vain next year. This is not the first time that flash floods have destroyed our area and we have been forced to fight them. This happens every year. It is better that the government build a better countermeasure for such floods and increase the width of the nearby irrigation channel so that these flash floods can be avoided and our houses are not destroyed. It is better to finish the work properly for once, rather than doing it in bits and pieces." Another local, Shakir Hussain, in a sobbing voice, told the Skardu TV reporter, "No one will come here to help and our houses will get destroyed. We are trying to deviate from the water by ourselves. You can very well see that our fams and our houses have been destroyed in these floods." Shaukat Ali a local from a village in Shigar, said, "Early morning around 7 o clock when the flood came followed by loud sounds which sounded like mine blasts we rushed to save our children and other family members. I tried to save my vehicle, but it could not start afterwards my vehicle was carried by the flood waves and was destroyed. We had stored grains and other food items for the winters in our basement but the water destroyed all that, and the cattle owned by my family also are nowhere to be found." Notably, the upcoming rainy season is also a danger sign for the people as they may have to displace or fight for their belongings against the flood once again next year. (ANI)
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