Pakistan
[PICTORY] Day II of disaster at Attabad (Ghareyat)
by Zulfiqar Ali Khan
by Zulfiqar Ali Khan
administrator
Pamir Times is the pioneering community news and views portal of Gilgit – Baltistan, Kohistan, Chitral and the surrounding mountain areas. It is a voluntary, not-for-profit, non-partisan and independent venture initiated by the youth.
I was shocked hearing such sad news. Such natural calamity are beyond human comprehension. My heart goes out to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones during this tragic event.
it is one of the unfortunate natural calamity that damaged the whole community of Hunza in General and the families of Atabad in particular. we all pray for the capacity that help the families to withstand this tragic event. Now what needed is to do collective efforts to rehabilitate and settle these families where they could restart their daily life with dignity and honour. I sslute to all volunteers and organizations who are engage in relief activities. But at this movement the way of protest firing tires on the road is seems awful. we can block the road even sitting down on it but htis is not the way as i think.
we should put pressure on public sector and representatives in a justified way so that in a situation where the families need our support we should first give much priority to them.
Great service to poor villagers but a furneral never becomes a ceremony it should be written as Funeral Session. the underaged administration of Hunza-nagar deserves more protests against them as they are not serious even about resolving the minor problems of local people.
Azim
Dear Nur and Zulfiqar,
We appreciate your untiring efforts on covering and projecting the catastrophe of the region after several decades. I would say the loss of lives are mainly man made. This potential hazard was noticed by FOCUS in year 2000 when the cracks were reported. I and Ejaz Karim an emerging Disaster Management professional (geologist) from Hunza visited the site on behalf of FOCUS. There was no possible mitigation options for the landslide but however, human losses and potentially material losses have been prevented if the severity of potential disaster seriousness was taken into account. I wrote research paper for World Bank in 2003 and 04 on the same landslide and FOCUS ( I remember) established community based monitoring system. I am not aware why the severity of hazard was not considered by public authorities and also Jamati institutions!.
Now, this is not the time to start blame games rather we should strive for the rehabilitation and recovery of the communities suffered from this disaster. I’d like to recoemend to PT …to establish a fund – and I am sure people will contribute and make a theme for the investment – which can be education and health for the affected community members….lets set an example of transparent and effective contribution towards well being of the affected people…..we can not revers the current situation but we can change the future ….
best
Jalal
Dear Noor & Zulfiqar
We appreciate your untiring efforts on covering and projecting the catastrophe of the region after several decades. I would say the losses of lives are mainly man made. This potential hazard was noticed by FOCUS in year 2000 when the cracks were reported. I and Ejaz Karim an emerging Disaster Management professional (geologist) from Hunza visited the site on behalf of FOCUS. There were no possible mitigation options for the landslide but however, human losses and potentially material losses would have been prevented if the severity of potential disaster was taken into account with seriousness. I wrote research paper for World Bank in 2003 and 04 on the same landslide and FOCUS (I remember) established community based monitoring system. I am not aware why the severity of hazard was not considered by public authorities and also Jamati institutions later on. A planned relocation would have been avoided this situation. I left FOCUS in 2004 and I remember this landslide was at the top of FOCUS’ agenda. This is a lesson for all of us that identification of a Hazard is easy and forecasting a disaster is also possible but preventing lives and livelihood losses remains a challenge…the amount of resources will mobilized now to rehabilitate the victims would have been mobilized before so that at least we would have been working with normal individuals not psychologically shocked ones, then ones we have now!!!
Now, this is not the time to start blame games rather we should strive for the rehabilitation and recovery of the communities suffered from this disaster. I’d like to recommend to PT …to establish a fund – and I am sure people will contribute and make a theme for the investment – which can be education and health for the affected community members….lets set an example of transparent and effective contribution towards well being of the affected people…..we can not reveres the current situation but we can change the future ….
Best
Jalal
Tajikistan
Its a great loss of humen lives. I had recorded my comments on the very initial news and recommanded to assess the situation and come up for mitigation plans. My comments are also reflected on Dr. Kerenth’s message on this issue on foster mechnisms for long term study and mitigation measures.
“INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHI RAJIOON” Indeed it is a big loss for the whole nation generally and particullarly for Hunzaies. As a one nation now it is our utmost duty to come farward and do collectively some thing for effective indiveduals. Now it is a time to help practially not only by words. So it is our humble request to all those who ever saw by any mean to this devastating incident to please come ahead and do maximum support materially.
We the people of Hunza and Gigit Baltistan who are living in UAE are also very sad by this big loss of human lives and we will Inshaallah try to help whatever we can do to our sisters and brothers of Atta Abad Jamaat.
And we are thankfull to particullarly to the Administration of Pamirtimes and other indvdualls who are showing their efforts to update all of us time to time. Thank you very much once again and keep it up.
We the people of Hunza are still facing lot of problems, Due to this landslide the hunza river has been blocked along with KKH which is the only connection to the upper hunza.The blockage of hunza river is not only dangerous for the near villages but the area up to the gilgit.Govt must take some serious and immediate steps for this thing.
May everything go well for all death bodies.
Dear Zulfiqar
I went through the article written by your good-self in daily Dawn 24January, 2010.
Through the literature, reports and media the issue is highlighting very well. As Jalal from Tajikistan informed you about the phenomenon, that it was first identified and assessed in 2002 and continuously process was monitored by the trained volunteers of FOCUS. The gap was not communication but the issue became very much disastrous due to the attitudinal vulnerability of the authorities, community institutions and leadership. Not only Attabad there are many other sites which need direct and immediate attention to avoid any such kind of future catastrophe. If there is delay in draining of the accumulated water it can further trigger a same situation opposite of Ghulmet Nager where a huge scree slope is active and due to intensive toe cutting it can slide. It not only block the river Hunza again but also destroy the Ghulmet settled village partially (area at the front of the river bank) as well as new settlements towards the foot of the western flank of the slide.
Again I need your attention towards one of the most important environmental issue that due to fear of the submergence habitation in Ayeenabad seems destroy by local through cutting trees. Please intimate the population that there is no need of cutting trees from the area because with in forth coming some month’s lake will be drained and vegetation will recover. Although the precious assets should be taken out but live trees should not be cut.
If you need pre and post disaster assessment report I can share
Regards
Ejaz KArim (Geologist)
Disaster Risk Reduction Expert
UNDP/ERRA
03025232840
This is with reference to Mr. Ejaz Karim’s report regarding the disaster occured at Ata Abad Hunza. We must emphesize to the authorities wether they are Local or National level should take necassary and wise steps to chanalise the disastrous situation in the light of geological experts to save further more areas which are suposed to be come under effect. which Mr. Ejaz has notified in his statment.
Thanks.
Ata Abad ancident is so sadfull because so muany peoples are effaceted,like lost of land,houses,relitives and family memers.
And as Boyscout i want to help the Ata Abad peoples and also Jogals peoples.
And my preyers are with u peoples ALLAH help you peoples.
And bovt of GB and political leders are help that peoples,at quick.
We all condemn it strongly that the pak Govt is still lethergic despite of what is happening in this part of the world.The natives of the upper hunza Gojal are facing convenience problems as they are cut away from the country,basic necesities are not available,students are left from their studiesand so much more. .this is the self Govrnance given to This part?it seems a drama Just hope now left is Allah. .
plz all people strike on government with the helep of hunza people.
plz hlep govt who needs
i am very touched by this disaster in the valley of hunza, i am sad and i am sharing the pain with my jamat and people of hunza.
Dear all, I do share ur pain and sympathies with the affectees of Atta’abad and all those who have suffered in one way or the other. Atta’abad disaster is not an end in itself. There may be many many Atta’abads here and there in Gilgit-Baltistan, but we are unaware of. Natural processess are blind to human sufferings, but humans may exacerbate such processess and accelerate the pace, unknowingly. We all cry for those who fell victim, but my question is, ” was Att’abad worth a place for human settlement?” My simple answer is No. We all live in an area where we are highly volnerable. Now people have started to construct houses in places, especially in Gilgit which used to be streams during flooding in summers, but they feel as if nothing would happen for ever, for there might not be flooding for some years due to climatic factors. We must strive to create awareness and educate people about possibilities of any sort of disaster. Risks are there, but we don’t know about the timelime when the risk would turn into a disaster, it may happen while i am writing these comments and may not for hundreds of years, but who knows, like people of Atta’abad, for they also lived there for quite some generations. Let us ponder and debate since this is one of most of important contemporary discourse for all of us. Atta’abad disaster has been affecting people living hundreds of miles away in one way or the other.
We will have to learn living in mountains safely and help others to do the same, for natural processess are beyond human control but not beyond human influences. Thanks