Quake-hit Azad Kashmir needs colossal relief to return to Normalcy
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

MUZAFFARABAD (AJK): After the entire infrastructure in almost half of Azad Jammu Kashmir went down to earth by the massive earthquake of October-8 in four, out of all eight districts of Azad Jammu Kashmir, the supply of massive relief, in all forms, in the rubble-turned areas by all sorts of donor agencies, is immediately required to promote and accelerate the already-launched hectic relief works to bring the life back to normal in the quake-hit areas.

Before going into details the massive loss caused by the natural disaster in Azad Jammu Kashmir and the post-quake situation in the region, it would be worthwhile to recall that the ‘ever-worst earthquake in the recent history of the region after the pause of 450 years, as a similar even had earlier been observed in 1555. The epicenter of 7.6 magnitude calamity was located at 34.493-N, 73.629-E near Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu Kashmir, at the distance of 105 kilometer from the federal capital Islamabad.

The powerful catastrophe badly affected bulk of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, some parts of NWFP, Northern Areas and Punjab as well as Indian-held Jammu Kashmir and northern parts of India and Afghanistan. Most of the buildings collapsed in the worst affected districts of Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Neelam valley and Rawalakot. Independent observers claimed about the loss of more than 80 thousand human lives and injures tens of thousands others besides the extensive damages to the property in AJK and NWFP.

The adversely affected Azad Jammu Kashmir comprising an area of 13297 kilometer, consisted of mountainous terrain, valleys and plain stretches elevating from 360 M to 6139 M and administratively divided in eight districts of Muzaffarabad, Neelam, Bagh, Rawalakot, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimbher and further to 29 tehsils and 1674 villages. Two major rivers including Jhelum and Poonch along with tributaries converge at the country’s second biggest Mangla Dam lake at Mirpur. Snowfall starts above 1500 M in the month of November.

Population

The present total population of AJK is around 3.5 million. The earthquake affected Muzaffarabad, Neelam, Bagh and Rawalakot districts and a few villages/houses of district Sudhanoti. Preliminary estimates of the loss of lives and injuries spoke of the rising trend since, according to the independent observers more bodies are lying in the debris in the worst quake-hit areas although hectic efforts have already started and underway to remove the debris and to recover the bodies. Besides, the loss of private and public assets and properties is countless, according to the independent observers more than two million of people in the area were affected following the catastrophe. Massive land slides and rockfall damaged the roads and highways cutting off access to the region for several days after the calamity.

Tens of thousands have lost lives and thousands others were injured and thousands of people rendered homeless in the devastating earthquake in six out of all eight districts of AJK including the most affected districts of Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot and Neelam Valley and minorly-affected districts of Mirpur and Sudhanoti (Palandri). In badly affected four districts of Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot and Neelam valley a total of two lakh 46 thousand and 280 houses were badly damaged since almost all of them turned into rubble besides including those mud-brick houses which were completely destroyed in the top mountainous areas.

With the colossal financial assistance of the government of Pakistan, the AJK government has started extending compensation to the kith and kins of those killed in the catastrophe besides to those injured for their early recovery besides extending free medical treatment in various hospitals in the country in line with the policy determined by the federal government for the early quick recovery and rehabilitation of the survivors of the Asia’s worst catastrophe.

Of Infrastructure

All the private and public sector infrastructure has totally vanished from the scene by the massive earthquake particularly in the capital city and other parts of the district of Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Poonch where most of the buildings and the existing and under-construction projects of all private and public-sector institutions and individuals including shopping malls of all categories and government departments including electricity, works, agriculture, industries, tourism, animal husbandry, Sericulture industry, Information Technology, Health, Auqaf , Education badly damaged, rather has erased from the scene turning into the heaps of rubble.

Although relief works are extensively underway by the army and civil administration as well as by various foreign and local NGOs in the earthquake hit AJK through supplying the relief goods in different forms including tents, goods, medicines and other required items through the Army helicopters, yet more material and financial aid is urgently required for the displaced shelterless earthquake stricken people for their rehabilitation in the days to come and particularly to save them from the harsh winter in all the calamity-hit areas of AJK especially the most affected mountainous Muzaffarbad, Bagh, Neelam valley and Rawalakot districts.

Besides the high official sources, independent observers and the displaced people are of the view that although the army and the civil administration is fully engaged in supplying the relief goods to all earthquake-hit of AJK and NWFP, yet the continuation of maximum practical participation of the international donor groups besides other foreign and local NGOs from across the world is the urgent need of hour to assist and strengthen the ongoing relief works launched by the army and the civil administration for the early rehabilitation of the survivors in the minimum possible period.●