Volunteers clear debris from flood-hit Chitral villages

In Chitral, a display of community spirit emerged as civil society groups, paramilitary forces and student volunteers arrived on Sunday to assist in clearing the debris left by last week's flash floods. The sudden downpour, caused by Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (Glof) and cloudbursts, left hundreds of families in Lower Chitral homeless, their homes buried under boulders and sludge.

Recognizing their inability to clear the debris themselves, affected residents thanked the district administration for providing tents and emergency rations. However, they criticized the government for leaving debris clearance entirely to the victims, describing it as an "uphill task" for families who had lost everything. In response, volunteers from the Al-Khidmat Foundation, Muhammad Talha Mahmood Foundation, Human Care Foundation, and Helping Hand, along with Chitral Scouts and local school students, worked relentlessly under the sun to dig through collapsed structures and help locals.

At the same time, critical infrastructure work commenced as the local nullah was channelized to prevent future flood vulnerability. NGOs collaborated with the Chitral Scouts, deploying heavy machinery to widen and secure blocked water channels. An affected resident in Jughur spoke to the media about displaced villagers continuing their efforts to unearth and salvage personal belongings and household items buried under the flood debris.