Potential food crisis in Gojal valley

by Kamran Ahmed

The recent comment of the DG-NDMA on Geo News regarding the risk of outburst of the deadly dam formed on river Hunza by the end of April has left the people of Gojal in suspended terror.

In case of lake outburst, the already poor life line would get demolished as the waves from the dam, as high as sixty meters, would annihilate the KKH along with its small and large bridges. The people of Gojal anticipate severe food insecurity in such a scenario.

The government has not yet stocked food at Gojal to cater to the confirmed and potential food insecurity. The people are additionally panicked as they find the government’s utility store empty for weeks. The disaster has left the people with diminishing income to go to Hunza or Gilgit to purchase items of daily sustenance. Prices of food items are on the increase on the local open market as the rising transportation costs add to the prices of food items.

Majority of the people are of the view that the government should immediately restock the civil supply store and the utility store with food items to cater to the demands of the people for at least six months. As Gojal has been declared a calamity hit area the people demand free supply of daily sustenance items, immediate restocking of the utility store and fifty percent cut on prices of items at the utility store for the time being.