PoGB: Villages continue to face imminent threat of land erosion amid government inaction

Kawardo [PoGB], August 8 : The residents of Kawardo, Hoto, and Jasna regions in the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) have been demanding the administration to address the issue of land erosion, which is happening because of the widening of river shores.
However, this year, the rivers of PoGB expanded more than expected, destroying several households, farms, and other infrastructure, local media outlet Skardu TV reported.
According to the report, this could have been protected if measures were taken on time.
For the past several years, the residents of these areas have been demanding the administration address the issue of destruction of property caused by these rivers to the locals as the effects of climate change were evident.
The farming community is the most affected in these areas. They were waiting to harvest their produce, but their farms were destroyed by the river, following which they are now demanding compensation for their losses, Skardu TV reported.
The effects of erosion were visible on the ground for at least 25 years.
Previously a committee of experts had also visited the areas but no noticeable changes were witnessed. Hence the locals were forced to take steps for their protection by themselves. These steps involved collecting joint donations from the community but the level of destruction caused by the rivers of PoGB is irreparable now.
A local belonging to Kawardo lamented that all of their belongings had been inundated by the rivers.
The local appealed, "Please protect us, or tell us where to go. Our fams and all our produce have been taken by the river. We demand the PM of PoGB to at least address our issue and give us relief, if you don't believe us please do a visit and see for yourself that we are facing such dire conditions."
Another affectee said that the water is now very strong and has been destroying the landmass each day, adding that, it will reach the last house of the river bank and certainly it could enter into the villages.
"Now we remain helpless, most of these people are daily wage workers and don't have enough money to help themselves. There is a very small patch of wall that was built a long time ago to stop such erosion, but the project was closed leaving the wall incomplete. The water is now very strong and has been destroying the landmass each day, it will soon reach the last house of the river bank and there is no doubt that it could enter into our villages," the local said.
"There are at least 500 affected members of the village on the riverbank and they need to be relocated fast within a year the government needs to relocate our entire village otherwise our entire village will be destroyed," he added.