Flood-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Army launches second phase of rehabilitation, reconstruction

Pakistan Army here on Friday launched second phase of rehabilitation, reconstruction work in flood hit areas of Khyber Pakthunkhwa following successful completion of its first phase wherein 200 educational institutions, 937 houses and 35 healthcare units were rehabilitated in Nowshera and Charsadda districts.
Commander Engineering Corps Brigadier Ikhlaq told journalists at Akora Dhairy Civil Hospital District Nowshera that 800 houses, 55 schools and 10 healthcare centers in flood hit Nowshera have been completed in record two months. The ISPR has arranged daylong tour for local journalists to appraise them about army relief operations, works, ongoing schemes and completed projects in flood hit areas of Charssada and Nowshera districts.
Soon after the July last record breaking floods in KPK, the Pakistan army has started rescue and relief operations, army had launched operation 'Labbaik' on August 1, 2010 to rescue the marooned and stranded people of flood affected areas as per directions of COAS General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik.
Army have remained cognisant of fast recovery needs of flood affected population and developed mid and long term development strategies to facilitate transition from relief to reconstruction and development of flood hit areas, he elaborated.
He said army engineers had made special efforts and completed mega bridges including Ayub bridge, Chakdara bridge, Bagh Dehri bridge, Mingora bus stand bridge, Hazara bridge, Shamozai bridge and Mandharran bridge before schedule time, facilitating hundreds of thousands of affectees.
The official said the army has given special focus on reconstruction and rebuilding of communication infrastructure by giving importance to education, health, bridges, houses projects. The first phase of reconstruction has been completed by army and target of rebuilding of 937 houses was successfully achieved in Charssda, Nowshera, Upper Swat, Malakand and DI Khan, the worst hit districts of KPK.
As many as 200 education and 35 health units were established in Charsadda, Nowshera, Upper and Lower Swat, Malakand and DI Khan and that all the roads and tracks in KPK have been opened for traffic including Madyan-Kalam Road in Swat, adding that colossal effort is required for restoring these for sustained traffic. About left over projects, the official said army has completed 937 houses and 5000 by NGOs out of 2,80,629 damaged houses besides completion of 200 educational projects by army, while share of NGO is 35 out of 885 damaged.
As many as 31 health projects were completed out 169 assessed losses with special focus on education with construction of 46 bridges and culverts by army our of 278 damages. The relief efforts of army will continue till rehabilitation of last affectee, he added. The army's matchless contributions during relief and rescue and later in rebuilding phase have win hearts and minds of misery stricken people.
Medical Officer Dr Shahid said that earlier the hospital was fully functional with facilities of Operation Theater, two special doctors and a lady gynecologist along with 10 different healthcare and with assistance of army troops it was rebuild and restored in Nowshera.
The rehabilitation of Government Girls Higher Secondary Nowshera Kalan washed away by floods was reconstructed. Principal of the School Robina Qurashi thanked the Army who in a shortest possible time completed these schools and made them functional to save precious time of the students. The famous Pir Saback Chain-Bridge that was washed away by floods was also reconstructed by army.
Colonel Sajjad during the inauguration ceremony of the chair-left bridge constructed on Kabul River, connecting Pir Saback and Nowshera Kalan, disclosed that one Fazal was running a locally made chair-left facility for transportation of people but due to flood that facility was washed away leaving hundreds of people at lurch.
Looking after the problems of 10,000 families who were residing on other side of the river Kabal in thickly populated Pir Saback village it was connected to Nowshera Kalan through a chain chair-left that also shorten the way from 30 kilometer to only 2km.
The facility was completed with cost of Rs 3 million out of which Rs 2 million were donated by Fazal Ahmad, while Army Engineering Corps had injected the remaining amount making this dream project into reality. The elderly, old citizens, students and government servants are availing that facilities free of cost, while the rest will pay Rs 5 only to make ensure that the facility must go on through the same owner.