[Gojal Disconnected] What are the possible options?
Over-land access to Gojal Valley has become impossible due to the constant rise in water level of the disaster dam formed on Hunza river. Serious steps are required to avert human crisis in the region, that might result due to lack of fuel, medicines and, in the future, food supplies.
Some of the possible actions under discussion at various levels within the public circles are:
1. Continuation of the helicopter service to transport people and fuel on priority basis. This method is more expensive and not going to last long
2. Opening up the Khunjrav – China route for transporting the required items. Pakistani C – 130 planes can drop people and goods in Kashghar and then the goods can be transported through containers to Gojal valley
3. PIA can start subsidized flights between Gilgit & Kashghar to commute ordinary citizens and traders
4. The old air strip in Passu is brought into working condition and small planes are allowed to use it for transporting goods and people
5. Powerful Motor engine boats can be used to move upstream on the lake formed on Hunza river
6. Fuel and other essentials can be airlifted and dropped at designated places, for distribution to retailers and government depots
If you can think of any other option, let’s discuss.
Option 2 is more feasible with some amendments, there is need to immediately open Pak – China boarder and provide all kind of supplies from china to the affected people of Gojal Valley, and Pakistan Government should pay against those supplies, as long as the blockade of KKH and river will not clear. And also allow the people of Gojal valley to travel to china.
the people Of Gojal should be permanently transfer to the other side of the blockade , may be in hunza, gilgit or any other part, till its clearance. Don’t know weather it is feasible or not, it just came to my mind and thought to share it.
Motor engine boats will be more useful it will be more chip
and it must be every one Hour serves up and Down. on 24 hrs, basis
Hikayat shah
Saudia Arabia
Adding to NO 4 above, the government may allows private sector look into the feasibility to operate small planes or helicopter service on regular basis. This could later to expanded to other areas and serve the tourism industry in peace time.
The speed boat is more cheap, but given the behaviour of Hunza river, and uncertainity about the kind of lake it will appear, one may need to see if it is safe and could transport both goods and people and upstream and downstream.
My late father Wing Commander “Lanky” Syed Mahmood Ahmad of PAF used to land in 1948 at the Passu airstrip during the Kashmir war in order to bring in supplies to the blocked Gojal area including Mintaka, Kilik and Shimshal areas. The aircraft that RPAF used at that time was a Dakota DC3. The Passu airstrip should be paved quickly and C130s can easily land there. My father used to always say: “I don’t know why they don’t fix up that landing strip in Passu? It can be a source of great support for the people of Gojal in case the KKH is blocked.”
ok nice comments but do u think about Shishket because after few days the bridge between Gulmit and shishket will be blocked. can Mr, rasheed has planned some way.
DE BST SOLUTION IS THT, JST STOP DE HELI SERVICES ND PUT OL DE MONEY 8 ONCE 2 RILIZ DE WATER FRM DE DAM. DIS CN HELP.
I think the option 2 is very good for immediate relief but it would be great if Government of Pakistan will start soon working for releasing the Hunza river water because it is very bad in future for both said “upper Gojal and down Hunza and Gilgit too” if it not open soon then they mostly area of Gojal will start cutting and If the water it self open later in summer then it will destroyed all the down area of Gilgit,
So it need to make a beg plan for releasing the water soon before the water flow of spring.
Ali Aman Gojali
Badakhshan