Hundreds of Attabad and Sarat IDPs establish protest camps near the lake barrier
By Ali Ahmed
Hunza, July 7: Hundreds of male IDPs belonging to disaster hit villages of Attabad and Sarat staged a protest demonstration and marched towards the lake barrier today. The protesters will spend a night near the lake barrier.
According to details the male members of IDP families reached near the lake barrier at Attabad village today protesting against the government’s failure to announce an ‘acceptable’ compensation plan.
The IDPs have rejected 600,000 rupees compensation announced by the federal government for rehabilitation of the displaced people. They had earlier asked the government to revise the compensation plan and increase the amount of money. They had also warned government to announce a revised package within three days or else be prepared to face the public’s outrage.
The IDPs have said that the package announced is meager and not up to their rehabilitation needs. They have said that returning to their hazard prone villages and reviving their fields is the only option they are left with.
Experts warn that the remaining parts of Attabad village are cracked and falling apart. The village has been declared unsafe for living by the government as well as independent experts and analysts.
This is unfortunate,
Calculate the six months costs of providing relief, food, shelter, health, Water and sanitation etc. Not to talk of the so many visits by the VVIPs and the costs incurred on their travel!! This money could have been saved and provided for resettlement
We are all wasting the time of the affected people and the people of Hunza, by delaying this issue. the whole society and economy has suffered becuase of this inaction and undeciveness of the government and the institutions, who claim, being close to the hearts and minds of the people.
Enough is enough!!
It seems that WE, the affectees need to understand that the government (irrespective of the promises madeby polititicians) is not going the to compensate for all the losses/damages, nor buy us a land or house and resttle us over night? If it was so simple they would have done it b/w 2003-2009 or during last six months?
Moving ahead, we need to go for a compromise formula. Here is a simple calculation, the affectees and those responsible should do:
Total shelter requirements : 500 families (Attaabad/Sarat 141-150 families, Gojal 350 families)
1. total cost of constructing a modest new house (local house + one room+ kitchen+store+ washroom) in hunza/GB= 10-15 lac rupees
2. Cost of atleast one kanal land/commerical in Hunza = 10-12 lac
total cost (land + construction) one family= 20-27 lac
Less
Federal Government relief package= 0.6 million rupees per family
total effect for federal govt (0.6 million x 500 families) = 300 million
GB govt must topup (from the funds provided by Nawaz sharif, AJK, Sindh, KPK and Habib Bank and others to them) =1million per family
total effect for GB government (500 families x 1 million = 500 million)
total federal and GB government = 300 + 500 = 800 million rupees
Remaining amount = 11 lac per family
( this amount should be raised by the community, local/national/international philanthropists, and international agencies. This could be part cash assistance, part soft loan and part in the form of material like cement, dressed stone, timber, meshwire, skilled labour, transportation costs etc.)
total fmailies)
Total flash appeal to international philanthropists (500 families X 1.1 million)
= 550 million rupees
So, can PT and the local community institution raise 550 million in next ONE month??
Can the government (federal and GB) immediately approve and disburse Rs. 800 million as part of their relief package??
Lets challenge the government and politicians to provide immediately Rs 800 million with NO ifs and BUTs and pre-conditions.
Let the community and philanthropists raise Rs. 550 million to support the shelterless people??
Amin Beg
What is being suggested is plausible but the mathematics doesn’t apply to the real world so immaculately. Unfortunately, the intentions and commitment of those at helms of the power are as clear, otherwise the scale of the disaster could be contained at the on set.