During visit to rain and flood affected district of Kohistan on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that encroachment is one of the main causes of flood devastations and the same was revealed in a survey conducted in 2010.
He said unchecked cutting of forest and encroachment on banks of rivers and streams hamper the flow of water and thus caused huge loss of properties of lives in rainy season.
He said the provincial government has devised a system for relief and rehabilitation of the calamity stricken people on emergency basis and adding that under the system, the district governments start relief operations and pay compensation to the affected people.
The CM expressed grief over loss of precious lives in Kohistan and other affected areas and directed the district administrations to devise a comprehensive plan for restoration of damaged infrastructure and roads.
He further said that a survey would be conducted in flood hit areas for compensation. He added that the encroacher would not be compensated.
He appealed the local people to be a part of billion tree tsunami campaign of the provincial government and protect their areas from further deforestation and calamities.
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Kohistan briefed the CM, Speaker KP Assembly Asad Qaiser, Advisor to Chief Minister Abdul Haq, Special Assistant Abdul Manam Khan, MPA Shaukat Yousafzai and DG PDMA about the relief and rescue operation.
He told that so far, 14 people had died in rain related incidents while the infrastructure had badly affected in the district.