CHITRAL(National Times)- Education of hundreds of schoolchildren across Chitral valley has been severely disrupted following a spate of climate change-induced glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs) and flash floods triggered by cloudbursts, which have washed away critical road and bridge infrastructure.

In Lower Chitral, the valleys of Sheshi Koh and Karimabad have collectively lost 20 bridges to the raging flood waters as a result of which the villages located on the right and left banks of the valley streams have completely lost contact with each other, cutting off students from their educational institutions.

Yaqub Khan, the former union nazim of Karimabad, said that the children from villages on the opposite banks of the stream were unable to attend school due to the absence of bridges.

He said that roughly half of the students enrolled in the Government High School Susoom belonged to the opposite side of the nullah, where the connecting bridge was swept away.

Reflecting on the historical vulnerability of the area, Mr Khan recalled a tragedy from March 2016 when seven senior students from the same school lost their lives after being struck and overwhelmed by a snow avalanche near the nullah while trekking to class.

He added that following the scheduled re-opening of schools on July 1, students throughout the valley had faced immense hardships, particularly after a recent horrendous flash flood swept away 12 more bridges over the nullah.

According to the former nazim, the situation in the neighbouring Arkari valley and Garam Chashma remains equally non-conducive for schoolchildren.

The crisis is identical in Upper Chitral, where flash floods have demolished vital bridges over the River Chitral. A major connectivity crisis has emerged between Miragram No 2 and its opposite village, Bang.

Hundreds of students from Miragram No 2 and adjacent localities have been blocked from attending the school in Bang because the river flood destroyed the main bridge.

Similarly, students from Bang village are now unable to cross over to attend the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School in Miragram No 2.

Mohammad Wazir Khan, the chairman of the Mastuj-Broghil Road Movement and a former district councillor, described the ground reality as heartbreaking.

He noted that the most pitiable situation could be witnessed in Unawuch village, where young boys and girls were forced to cross the ferocious river using highly unstable, makeshift wooden bridges, risking their lives daily just to pursue their education.