SWAT: A high level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Commissioner Malakand Division, Abid Wazir, to review the issue of illegal encroachments in the light of directives issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Peshawar High Court.
The session was attended by the Regional Municipal Officer Malakand and a representative of the Regional Police Officer Malakand, while all deputy commissioners of the division and the Chief Executive Officer of the Water and Sanitation Services Company Swat joined via video link.
Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner said that the recent floods wreaked havoc in the division primarily due to large-scale encroachments along rivers and streams. He noted that these unlawful constructions and irresponsible human activities had narrowed waterways and blocked natural channels, which became a major cause behind the tragic loss of lives and billions of rupees worth of property.
The commissioner added that for several years, unchecked encroachments and negligence had been pushing rivers into a dangerous state, turning them into a serious threat for surrounding communities.
“The situation we are facing today is the direct outcome of human interference with nature,” he stated.
Abid Wazir directed all deputy commissioners to immediately convene meetings with the relevant departments in their respective districts to identify and demarcate river and stream boundaries. He said clear marking of limits was necessary so that existing encroachments could be removed and future violations prevented.
“Only by safeguarding riverbeds and water channels can we protect human lives and public property from further disasters,” he concluded.
