Shangla – Torrential monsoon rains continued to batter Shangla for the third consecutive day on Tuesday, severely disrupting normal life and triggering landslides, road blockades and widespread damage to public infrastructure across the district.
The persistent downpour caused a major landslide on the Alpurai College Road, forcing authorities to close the route to all types of traffic. Landslides were also reported at several locations along the Alpurai–Basham Road and the Alpurai–Khwazakhela Road, while similar incidents on various internal link roads created serious difficulties for commuters and motorists. The continuous rainfall also caused a significant rise in the water level of the Loi Khwar stream flowing through Alpurai. The strong current damaged protective embankments and the boundary wall of the doctors’ hostel at the District Headquarters Hospital. Local officials fear that continued heavy rainfall and rising water levels could cause further erosion and wash away the remaining protective structures.
Water levels also rose sharply in Khan Khwar, Loi Khwar, Amanowi Khwar and several other seasonal streams, nullahs, natural springs and waterfalls across the district.
The unusually high water flow has severely affected electricity generation at several locally operated hydropower stations. According to local sources, water channels supplying a number of micro-hydropower plants were washed away, while many others became clogged with sand, mud and debris, disrupting electricity production and leaving several areas without power.
The heavy rains also damaged Alpurai’s main water supply scheme, completely disrupting the supply of drinking water to the town’s main bazaar. Officials said several other water supply schemes across the district had also sustained damage due to flash floods and overflowing springs, raising fears of an acute drinking water shortage in many localities if restoration work is delayed.
Agricultural land in the upper parts of the district has also been affected, with standing crops, orchards and fruit-bearing trees sustaining damage. Protective field embankments have started collapsing under the pressure of continuous rainfall, while reports of partial damage to several mud houses have also been received from remote mountainous areas.
The ongoing spell of rain, which began on Sunday afternoon in Shangla’s northern and suburban areas, continued unabated through Tuesday, with intense showers throughout the day.
Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 Shangla has completed its monsoon emergency preparedness and intensified rescue operations across the district, successfully recovering vehicles involved in three separate road accidents while continuing search operations in the Indus River and launching public awareness campaigns to minimize the risk of monsoon-related incidents.
According to Rescue 1122 officials, emergency response teams remained on high alert as heavy monsoon rains continued across the district. Besides responding promptly to road accidents, the department has established temporary water rescue camps at vulnerable locations, particularly along the Indus River, to deal with any flood-related emergencies. Rescue 1122 said three separate traffic accidents occurred in Yakh Tangi, Shangla Top and Badha Gatta Beley Baba, where vehicles skidded off the roads and plunged into ravines.
Upon receiving emergency calls, Rescue 1122 recovery teams immediately rushed to the sites with heavy recovery vehicles and specialized rescue equipment. The teams successfully retrieved all three damaged vehicles while ensuring the safety of rescue personnel and restoring the flow of traffic on the affected roads.
