Return of quake survivors from tent villages begins
The Earthquake-affected people have started returning to their native areas from tent villages run by government and non-governmental organisations in different parts of the five affected districts of the NWFP.
Reports reaching from the quake-affected areas say people in camps at various localities were seen packing their belongings and heading towards their native villages in line with the NWFP government’s decision of closing all camps by March 31. The repatriation would be completed in three phases.
Over a hundred families, according to reports, left for their villages located on the hilltops on the first day of starting the process from a government camp in main Battagram.
Ehsanullah Khan, district Nazim Battagram, told The News by phone that the district government was capable of catering to the needs of the affected people returning to their respective areas.
On Friday, said the Nazim, 175 small pick-ups were provided to the returning families, besides foodstuff for one month, tents, blankets and stoves. Moreover, he said several NGOs working in the area were also providing relief goods to these people.
“Though, the quake survivors have complaints about cash compensation, majority of them are eager to go back to their native villages. Their movement would enable them to get the Rs 75,000 instalment for reconstruction of their destroyed houses,” the Nazim said.
Repatriation from the main tent village situated in Banda Sahib Khan near Havilian district Abbottabad also started on Friday, an official at the office of District Nazim told The News via phone.
According to him, 1,400 families are residing in the camp and for their repartition arrangements have been finalised.
District Nazim Abbottabad Haider Zaman Khan, on contact, expressed the hope that repatriation from tent villages would be completed as per the plan. He, however, mentioned that lack of resources with the district governments might hold up smooth repatriation process.
He said that for repatriation only Rs 0.5 million has been allocated to the district government that is lesser than the actual cost. He said that they had asked the provincial government either to give more funds to the district or carry out repatriation activities through Provincial Relief Commissioner.
There were also reports of repatriation from Meera Camp located on the right bank of River Indus where thousands of affected people from district Shangla have been accommodated.
An official at the office of District Coordination Office informed that quake survivors had started movement towards their native villages in coordination with the Army, NGOs and other relief agencies shifting of the affected people would be completed by end of this month.
Reports about repatriation of victims from several tent villages at district Mansehra and mainly Balakot were also received.
“In Balakot, where majority of the tent villages and relief camps are run by local and international NGOs, movement of the affectees to their native areas has been started since March 1,” Muhammad Shaukat in charge Al-Khidmat Foundation Relief Camp at Balakot told The News by phone.
According to him, at present only victims belongings to nearby areas were leaving from tent villages, who were being provided one-month ration and other facilities. He, however, clarified that the people from Kaghan and Naran valleys are still not in a position to go back to their respective areas because roads in these areas have completely wiped out and they can’t move by foot.
Shaukat hoped that the movement of such people would commence by end of April following melting of snow on hilltops.
According to official estimates some 40,000 people were accommodated in 18 government controlled tent villages and 26,000 persons were lodged in 44 non-governmental tent villages while about 100,000 persons are residing in tents near their collapsed houses and villages. While a large portion of the survivors are residing in different areas and cities of the province.
Source: The News
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