“Save Gojal Committee” criticizes government for denying international help in Hunza
PT Report
The statement has expressed dissatisfaction and displeasure over the pace of work being carried out by FWO for creating a spillway cut at the lake barrier.
The committee also organized a protest demonstration in front of the Parliament House, here in Islamabad, in support of their demands.
Save Gojal Committee has said that over one thousand Kanals of cultivable land of the valley has been inundated by the artificial lake while serious threat exists to the village of lower and central Shishkat and low laying parts of Gulmit and Hussaini. They have also said that the loss of thousands of trees and orchards has collapsed the economy of Gojal – the largest Tehsil of Hunza – Nagar district. The committee has demanded of the government to declare Gojal as calamity hit and develop special programs for revival of economic activity in the region that directly shares border with China and Afghanistan.
The committee has also demanded establishment of online – banking facilities in Gojal valley and provision of internet facility to resolve the communication crisis triggered by geographic isolation.
Other demands voiced by the committee include provision of fuel, fertilizers and seeds at subsidized rates to Gojal valley.
The committee has said that while FWO and NDMA were quick to respond to the situation the pace of work has been painfully slow and the deadline of 15 March for releasing water from the lake might not be met.
Read more at DAWN
There are open examples of the FWO work pace in Gojal. Whenever any task is given to them they did the work but with slow pace to get more funds for their pocket money. As all knows that whenever avalanche hits KKH especially near Gulmit they take several weeks and months for completion of that work and in replace the get enough fund from Government, even they sale out diesel from machine to local people. Last year in 2009 each and everyone who used KKH has observed that Chinese did the same work within 4 days record period which FWO did in 4 weeks or more than that period. Army high-ups must take strict control of them and monitored their work.