Gilgit - Baltistan
Local community clears KKH, temporarily, for traffic
by Zulfiqar Ali Khan
Members of the local community cleared KKH, removing the various obstructions caused by today’s GLOF. Despite of a lapse of six hours no team of the concerned authorities could reach the spot to clear the road. The ill equipped community volunteers, using wooden planks and other tools used in farming, worked for hours at the road opening it up, temporarily, for traffic.
Hundreds of local and foriegn passengers had been stranded in the region, sinc the afternoon. The community opened the road to faciliate movments of these passengers and their vehicles.
I think FWO has been working in the region sice long time and their claim of being the founders of KKH is also engraved on many stones on the way to the region.
The concerned authority should take a strict notice of the workers who have failed to reach the place in time and even afterwards.
It is true that the local community is not well equiped and becomes difficult for them to overcome such a traumatic situation.
The authorities should immediately contacted to help the stranded passangers,locals and tourists.
Aslam Ghalib
Dear Zulfi,
I would expect and highly appreciate, if the provided news reporting would had been specific. Some of the examples follow such as:
1. Nowhere has beeen mentioned that where GLOF has come out and blocked the KKH? Is the GLOF cooming out again in Yazyupk (Ghulkin-Hussaini Glacier( or at other places?
2. Who are the the local community who cleared the KKH/removed the various obstructions? What types of obstruction was it?
3. At what time did the GLOF came today?
4. Which concerned authorities is talked about who could reach at the spot to clear the road?
5. How many community members/volunteers were there working in openining the KKH and from which villages were they?
6. How many foriegn and domestic passengers would had been stranded on the spot?
7. What were views of the passengers during the blockage and after opening of the road about the concerned authorities such as FWO and the local volunteers?
Vielen Dank
Dear Friends, it’s very sad to know that such an event has happened for the third time in such a short time period and it’s quite alarming. About this particular lake i had asked the local government and community for information and also requested them to have the water level of lake and volume of discharged water monitored regularly. According to their observations the water level in the lake was decreasing continuously and apparently it wasn’t threatening but than again in such situations one should be realistic and very cautious, as it’s evident from the recent GLOF event. What seems to have happened is that the water outlet from the lake was blocked by debris, giving rise to the incidence of increase in water level and volume leading to an outburst. We have entered a period of consequence and global rise in temperature is indeed a result of anthropogenic activities. It was correctly quoted that Nature goes her own way, and all that to us seems an exception is really according to order.
There have been frequent complaints about lack of assistance from the local government but realistically looking at things the response of government or any other agencies in rural areas is usually slow regardless of how efficient they are, though I totally agree with the fact that the government has to propose lasting solutions for the subject problem, not only in Gojal but in all other vulnerable areas. And incase of northern areas in situations of disasters the communities become isolated islands because mostly access routes are blocked. We have to understand that in such situations the first response always comes from the communities and to my observation local community response to such disasters in the NAs has been great but it does need further improvement. I believe that the community if trained in disaster preparedness would be able take control of any situation in a more efficient and organized manner. It’s all about being prepared by ensuring that the individuals, families and all community members are aware of the potential hazards or threats in a region and are well prepared in advance for any disaster. People can actually make a lot of difference for the better working within the community.