Calamitous impact of climate change on Chitral

Global issue, local impact

Climate change is a global problem and the world is cognizant of its dreadful impact. Many conferences have been held internationally to deal with climate change. Pakistan is one of those countries which are under the inexorable destruction of climate change. The previous year’s devastation of the deluge was not depleted, but yet another deluge this year has again started its annihilation.

Like other areas of Pakistan, Chitral could not escape from the wrecking impact of climate change. In 2015, global warming and climate change made the first move to devastate Chitral. Before 2015,  I had not witnessed the devastation of a flood; however, my grandmother used to recount the havoc of the deluge in quondam time. For the first time, in 2015,  I witnessed the disaster of the gushing of the stream of my village.

Since 2015, the nonstop demolition of torrent hass continued in Chitral. Recent inundation in River Chitral swept away the Mastuj road, and upper Chitral remained cut off from lower Chitral for four days. Many villages are under the implacable erosion of River Chitral due to the recent inundation in the river. The river had already eroded and swept away many agricultural lands in different places of upper and lower Chitral.

A recent deluge in streams swept away bridges in three different places and demolished the infrastructure. Because of the blockade of the road, people who are employed in Chitral town couldn’t proceed to their offices. They remained besieged in their home until the road reopened for all kinds of traffic.

Next before the present day, around four hundred years old plants, which were in the yard of the royal fort, were swept away by the river;  these had historical importance; but the river not only swept away the trees but took out the history which was associated with these grandiose trees. According to eyewitnesses, the fort is near the encroachment of the river. If the inundation in the river rises, it will drag in and take away the fort.

The world will have to work in collaboration, to deal with climate change, and to bring back the world what it was. The world needs to work to curtail greenhouse gases and lessen the emission of carbon dioxide. The world should organize conferences on the topic of climate change daily; run aid regarding climate change on TV and different social media platforms, so everyone could be aware of global warming and climate change, and could work together to curtail the greenhouse gases and emissions of Carbon dioxide. Before it is too late, the world should take it seriously.

Koghuzi stream was the unruffled and untroubled rivulet, it has been flowing tranquilly in its way for a long time; how long to bear the outrage of climate change? When the temperature of the world augmented year by year, it got to be unable to bear it. Finally, this week with all of its anger it descended and swept away all the things which were in its way. The shops, garages and cars were taken away by the torrent.

Some agricultural lands were temporarily damaged; it was the source of remuneration for people. The irrigation canals were taken away; drinking water pipelines were swept away. What do they do; should they contrive water for themselves or find water for their crops? Here, it is important to acknowledge the assistance of NGOs in providing relief for the people of the affected area.

Recent deluge in rivulets and inundation in the River Chitral caused irretrievable detriment to the people of Chitral. People who were not affluent enough and well-off could debug these impairments. They set up small businesses and shops in very difficulty, after long years of drudgery. Now, in front of their eyes, the torrent took away all their years of travail.

The geography of Chitral is altering with the passing years, due to the erosion of the River. Every year some new villages quarry the ruthless waves of the river and are eroded by the river in such an inexorable way that doesn’t see what things come in front of it. It erodes and takes away all the things around it: the agricultural lands, homes, forests and roads. If this year you get a chance to see a house near the river, the next year you won’t. Nothing works, it seems like all have become impuissant in Infront of the ruthless waves of the river, even the embankment.

Pakistan yells at the world to deal with climate change gravely. In 2014, it was first launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to fight climate change, and this initiative remained so successful and restored 350,000 hectares of forest and barren land, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2018, the former Prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, launched a billion-tree tsunami project all over Pakistan to cope with the detrimental impact of climate change and global warming.

The world will have to work in collaboration, to deal with climate change, and to bring back the world what it was. The world needs to work to curtail greenhouse gases and lessen the emission of carbon dioxide. The world should organize conferences on the topic of climate change daily; run aid regarding climate change on TV and different social media platforms, so everyone could be aware of global warming and climate change, and could work together to curtail the greenhouse gases and emissions of Carbon dioxide. Before it is too late, the world should take it seriously.

Adil Ahmad
Adil Ahmad
The writer is a freelance columnist

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