Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Damages of Earthquake and People of Shangla NWFP Pakistan


Damages of Earthquake and People of Shangla NWFP Pakistan




It was morning of October 8, 2005 when a powerful and devastating earthquake struck the northern part of Pakistan causing major destruction and playing havoc with millions of lives. The affected areas were the Shangla, Mansehra, Bata gram, Kohistan, Abbotabad districts and four districts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. More than 70,000 people lost their lives out of those 35,000 were children who were attending schools at that time. Most of the civil society infrastructure such as schools, colleges, roads, and hospitals were collapsed and destroyed.
The Thousands of Kacha & Pacca dwelling houses are completely demolished, while others are partially damaged which are not fit for further use as these are dangerous and life risk is involved in their further use.
Recent devastating earth quake badly affected almost whole population of the District in one or other shape.
The remote district of Shangla consists of scattered populations 554818 divided into tiny, mountain-top hamlets spread out across a vast area. Due the nature of this difficult terrain some areas are difficult to access by road. The number of total households is 53529 and average household size is 8 persons per family. The population density is 341 persons per square kilometer. Total area of the District is 1586 sq-Km (339614 Acres) in which 104672 Acres (31%) is cultivated and 109685 Acres (32 %) is forest. It consists of 2 Tehsils i-e Tehsil Alpuri and Puran with 44 Patwar Circles and 111 villages. The District comprises of 1 National, 2 Provincial Assembly Seats, 2 Tehsil Councils and 28 Union Councils.
Shangla is a backward and tribal society where majority of the people live below the poverty line and are illiterate. Any one can estimate living standard of its people from a report recently issued by the government in which Shangla district was on top in ratio of poverty through out NWFP.
The literacy rate is 14.7% (25.2% in male & 3.7% in female). The government has so far been a big disappointment in changing the socio-economic conditions of the people and in this advanced technological age of the 21st century we are still lacking the basic infrastructure of the basic necessities of life.
District Shangla is full of natural resources like emerald, Marble, Chromites, Soap stone etc and there is a vast scope of investment and development. Similarly the area has a variety of fauna and flora like Markhur, Brown Bear, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Wolf, Pigeons, Monkeys, Chakor, and Dove etc. In flora medicinal plants like Banafsha, Tarkha, Unab, Mushkibala, white Rose and Mint etc are found in the area which are of great importance.

The inhabitants of the Shangla are deprived of basic needs, infrastructure, education, health, road and other facilities. The main road which connects Shangla with Swat and other parts of the country is in a very bad condition and it is difficult to drive over it.
Following is a data about Shangla district.

S.No Description Details
1. Total Area 1586 Sq-Km (339614 Acres)
2. Cultivated Area 104672 Acres (31%)
3. Un-Cultivated Area 234942 Acres (69%)
4. Forest 109685 Acres (32%)
5. Irrigated Land 7599 Acres (2%)
6. Non-Irrigated land 97073 Acres (29%)
7. Soil The soil of Shangla is very deep silt-loam
8. Population 554818 (2.5% of the total population of the NWFP.
9. Average growth rate in population 3.27% per year
10. Total Household 53529 (According to 1988 census)
11. Household size 8 persons per family.
12. Population Density 341 persons per Sq-Km.
13. Total No of Villages 111
14. Patwar Circles 44
15. Union Councils 28
16. Tehsils 2 i-e Alpuri & Puran
17. Literacy Rate 14.7% (25.2% in male & 3.7% in female)
18. ratio of government employers 5.6%
19. Boundaries. East:District,Batagram & Triablearea of Kala Dhaka.

West: - District Swat.

South:-District Buneer &Triable area of Kala Dhaka.

North: - District Kohistan.


The people of Shangla are known as being proudly independent and surviving for centuries in mountains. They occupy small stretches of agricultural land and accustomed to living on its produce while many people works in coal mines of Baluchistan, Sind and Punjab. The Ratio of government employers is 5.6%. Recent devastating earth quake badly affected almost whole population of the District in one or other shape. This natural disaster took about thousands human lives, seriously injured many more persons. The climate in the region is cold with patches of moderate weather in summers. The inhabitants of Shangla district are lying under open sky in this cold severe weather on mercy of God. The worst affected areas in Shangla district are union councils Shahpur, Damori, Pirkhana, Koozkana, Maira, Shang, Dandai, Kormang, and Sarkool.

UNION COUNCIL WISE DETAILS OF DAMAGES:
The breakdown of population and estimated number of affected families in badly affected areas of district Shangla given below.

S.No Union Council Population Total Household NO of Household affected%of affected Household

1. Shahpur 20528 2566 2052 80%

2. Damori 13907 1760 1050 60%

3. Pirkhana 22325 2826 1400 50%

4. Koozkana 10368 1312 500 40%

5. Maira 12800 1622 1500 90%

6. Shang 10917 1418 1000 70%

7. Dandai 11926 1662 1500 80%

8. Sarkool 19309 2413 1700 70%

9. Kormang 9843 1278 900 70%


10. Bunerwal 14398 1800 900 50%
11. Chakisar 16974 2122 1050 50%
12. Behlool Khel 20475 2409 1450 60%
13. Kamach Nusrat Khel 17536 2063 1450 70%

IMMEDIATE MEASURES REQUIRED:-
While keeping in mind agonies of the earth quake victims their first immediate requirement is CGI sheets and cements for reconstruction of their houses.
Secondly they required health facilities i-e MCH centers/Hospitals, Free medicines.
Thirdly they need vocational training centers and professional skill for their sustainable development.
There fore I request the world community, NGOs and donor agencies that Keeping in view low standard of living of its people lack of infrastructure severe cold winter separate geography and damages of devastating earth quake the people of Shangla District Shangla donate generously for reconstruction of educational institutes, health centers, vocational centers, streets, roads and other facilities in the earthquake affected areas of Shangla district on humanitarian basis, Because it require immediate attention for its sustainable development, reconstruction and rehabilitation.

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