Voice Of Hunza
World history is
full of incidents when humanity fell a victim of naturaldisasters and evil forces due to criminal negligance of selfish rullers with little consideration of well being of those being ruled. Social injustice, nepotism, red-tapism,oppression, feudal yolk and lack of equal opportunities are some of the main elements that create chaos in society.Masses of most of the third world are considered less valued than animals for their demand of fundamental right is assumed a sin. Humanity cries on ignorance and ambevelance of human beings who say some thing and doing else. The cracks were appeared first when a high magnitude earth quack hit the settlement in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Humanitarian organizations like FOCUS marked the area a red or high risk zone and advised population to shift some safer place.Karakorum Development Organization and few other made undue efforts to highlight the issue on various forums.Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) in its report cautioned of comming danger in terms of slope failure due to continous sescimic activity in centre of zone. The some of the population was evacuated to tents or temporary camps while majority forced to live with relatives to escape any danger. This instead of any benefit increased their miseries as the mercury fell minus once during most of the months in winter. Government authorities were requested to take immediate step to rehibilitate affectees to secure their future.The GSP report identified four major parts of red zone with high seismic activity in 'C' category on East-South pitched by the huge elbow of North Eastern cracked rock. Some of the families managed to shift in safer places while those with weak financial background opted for old huts deprived of any basic facility. Closed observation of VoH team, mere three weeks earlier of the disaster was telling a dangerous situation' the expansion of cracks felt within two days as trenchs appeared in cultivated feilds when snow melting water entered in rocks.
full of incidents when humanity fell a victim of naturaldisasters and evil forces due to criminal negligance of selfish rullers with little consideration of well being of those being ruled. Social injustice, nepotism, red-tapism,oppression, feudal yolk and lack of equal opportunities are some of the main elements that create chaos in society.Masses of most of the third world are considered less valued than animals for their demand of fundamental right is assumed a sin. Humanity cries on ignorance and ambevelance of human beings who say some thing and doing else. The cracks were appeared first when a high magnitude earth quack hit the settlement in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Humanitarian organizations like FOCUS marked the area a red or high risk zone and advised population to shift some safer place.Karakorum Development Organization and few other made undue efforts to highlight the issue on various forums.Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) in its report cautioned of comming danger in terms of slope failure due to continous sescimic activity in centre of zone. The some of the population was evacuated to tents or temporary camps while majority forced to live with relatives to escape any danger. This instead of any benefit increased their miseries as the mercury fell minus once during most of the months in winter. Government authorities were requested to take immediate step to rehibilitate affectees to secure their future.The GSP report identified four major parts of red zone with high seismic activity in 'C' category on East-South pitched by the huge elbow of North Eastern cracked rock. Some of the families managed to shift in safer places while those with weak financial background opted for old huts deprived of any basic facility. Closed observation of VoH team, mere three weeks earlier of the disaster was telling a dangerous situation' the expansion of cracks felt within two days as trenchs appeared in cultivated feilds when snow melting water entered in rocks. Finally that was happened on a noon, what was apprehended by sensitive minds. All of the sudden, the sweet voices of children playing in orchards and roofs of huts disappeared when the steep peaceful and beautiful village fell into a horrible gorge, trapped dozens bemeath rubble, blocked the flow of Hunza River and Karakorum High Way (KKH), posing severe threat to low-lying settlements along the beach in Gojal as the gorge through which once river flowed turned into a vast lake. The disaster brought mani fold impacts on the region: huge human and property loss in Attaabad and Aeenabad village and dinsconnecting Gojal Valley from central Hunza creating food
scarcity and threat of sinking of low-lying settlements along the river on both sides of the new formed lack. The handicapped civil administration due to lack of reserved fund and advanced techonology remained confined to its traditional role-lip service. While the credibility and efficiency of nationa media can be judged from the fact that most of the television channels aired photages of summer ignoring that the temperature in disaster hit area is minus one on celcious scale. Similarly, government owned channel exceled in the quest exagerating the role of government machinary in rescue operations. In this critical time, local news portals and blogs played a vital role to keep update the rest of the world about the real scenario of the region. This is the reason that readers of even mega news agencies opted to blogs that respect and follow codes and professional ethics of citizen journalism. Similarly,the masses and volunteers from all communities of Hunza valley, joined hands in hands without considering day or night to shift injured to nearby hospitals and rescue those burried under rocks. Similarly, FOCUS Humanitarian organization, a subsidiary of Aga Khan Development Network generously contributed in rehibilation along with its local trained professionals from the very first day of disaster. We should appreciate to the level the communities of Hunza shared in tregedy and contribution in rescue work both on clamity site and for temporary camps.
scarcity and threat of sinking of low-lying settlements along the river on both sides of the new formed lack. The handicapped civil administration due to lack of reserved fund and advanced techonology remained confined to its traditional role-lip service. While the credibility and efficiency of nationa media can be judged from the fact that most of the television channels aired photages of summer ignoring that the temperature in disaster hit area is minus one on celcious scale. Similarly, government owned channel exceled in the quest exagerating the role of government machinary in rescue operations. In this critical time, local news portals and blogs played a vital role to keep update the rest of the world about the real scenario of the region. This is the reason that readers of even mega news agencies opted to blogs that respect and follow codes and professional ethics of citizen journalism. Similarly,the masses and volunteers from all communities of Hunza valley, joined hands in hands without considering day or night to shift injured to nearby hospitals and rescue those burried under rocks. Similarly, FOCUS Humanitarian organization, a subsidiary of Aga Khan Development Network generously contributed in rehibilation along with its local trained professionals from the very first day of disaster. We should appreciate to the level the communities of Hunza shared in tregedy and contribution in rescue work both on clamity site and for temporary camps.
Responsiblity of the disaster, according to both the inhibitants and experts fall on shoulders of incompetent political leadership and apathetic bureaucracy whose criminal negligance confined to warning poor families failed to take disaster safty measures and save the precious lives of victims from clamity. The state machinery reached the site after two days. Newly elcted public representitives of Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly including Chief Minister and cabinet members managed to spare time visit the area after more than a week of clamity. While the annoucement made by Qamar Zaman Kaira,acting governor of the region to compensate the affectees two days ahead of poles on November 10, 2009 proved a political slogan. The issue was thrown in dust when some narrow minded notables of the village persuaded masses to boycott the election process that annoyed the rulling party. The national media, asuming unworthy to sell did not plan to rehibilitate about one hundred and six families of the village. Similarly, national media least bothered to highlight the issue before turning into crisis.
George Eliot once said many centuries ago that no man can be wise on an empty stomach in the times when food and shelter was ultimate end of life of human beings. Today even those with full stomach pass such statements that earn redicule instead of inspiration. A high official of civil administration has adviced youth of Hunza few days ago to get themselves absorbed into physical activities and play vally-ball. Definitely,those who have lost their brothers, sisters and causins and those with empty stomach busy in rescue work for many hours think nothing but to play vally-ball. As for as the critique of some of the people regarding abondoning of the place is concerned, they do not realize that leaving a birth place, memories and the organic links built in decades is too hard than to think. While the orchards and farming land that was cultivated for many years with no alternative choice is also an economic loss for the people where agriculture and husbandary is the prime source of living.
Everything is still not finished, there is time to learn from past. Authorities should realize the dire situation and deliver something to heal the injuries to affected families. The disaster would have averted if the NGOs working in the field spent an equivalent amount on rehibilitation of the disaster hit village instead of spending hundreds of dollars on so-called research and allowances to their personnel in terms of TADA. Government will need to plan immediately to rehibilitate families of Attaabad and Aeenabad village some where in the region; efforts are indispensible with the help of Chinese experts to release water to avert the threat to areas on shores of Hunza river. Secondly, authorities will have to ensure supply of basic necessisities of life and medicines on affordable costs to the dwellers of far flung valleys dependent on KKH. Thirdly, donations should be channelized vide a single trustworthy organization having an insight of public sufferings. We hope the federal government will announce a special package for the rehibilitation of the affectees to reduce their griefs.Mere announcements to amuse the masses will prove fatal plucid from the clamity due to ambevence in saying and actions
The writer is a freelance researcher, editor of VoH, Gilgit-Baltistan Echo and Alshams. He can be reached at:jaashams@gmail.com
this is jalal, ASSALAM O ALIKUM!
great job u made n bring all facts n figures to authorized people. n it vl bring some positive impacts for the victims of disaster. ..............
but thr r sum spelling n sentence composition mistakes, so correct thm 8 first chance