Pictures of Devastating Floods in District Nowshera, Pakista - August 2010

Nowshera is a beautiful city and cantonment area located some 30 KM east of Peshawar. District Nowshera was a Tehsil of District Peshawar until 1991. The major rivers of this district are River Indus and River Kabul, and both of these rivers meet at a beautiful location and picnic spot called "Kund" near the city of Khair Abad.

The district is is mainly mountainous, however, the most densely populated area that are located along the River Kabul, from Taru Jabba town to Kund, are mostly plain areas with low altitude. In the end of July 2010, heavy rains of upto 300 mm that lasted as long as 3 consecutive days, resulted in an intense flood that swept across most of the plain areas of District Nowshera along the River Kabul.

I visited the area almost a week after the flood had ended. The city of Nowshera, that used to be a beautiful city, with streets and markets crowded with people, now presented a very different and deserted look.

Following are some of the pictures that I could capture during my short visit to the city.


Flooded Fields near Nowshera Police Lines.













Destroyed rooms of a CNG station some 4 KM west of Nowshera on the Main GT Road.













Destroyed Rooms of a CNG Station from another angle.












Flooded fields near Nowshera Police Lines. These fields were under 15 feet of water during the floods.











Destroyed Mud House and Flooded Fields near Nowshera Police Lines.












Mud left in the main compound of Nowshera Fish Market and inside the Hotel buildings. Nowshera Fish Market is an attractive place to hang out in Nowshera, located on Main GT Road, near Police Lines.









Mud left in the compound of Fish Market and inside the restaurants. These hotels were under 15 feel water during floods.













Destroyed Restaurants in Nowshera Fish Market.












Another view of Destroyed Fish Market at Nowshera. This is the main enterance to the river side of the Fish market.











Mud left by flood waters is visible all over the Fish Market at Nowshera.












Mud left by flood waters in Fish Market. There used to be a grassy lawn here where people came to relax and dine.












Life must go on... A young employee at Fish Market cleaning furniture recovered from mud.











Sign board of "Italian Pizza" on the GT Road near Fish Market brought down by flood waters.












One of the many trees along the GT Road, near Nowshera uprooted by flood waters.












Picture of the day... A boat left on the GT Road near Police Lines Nowshera, as the flood waters went down. The owner could not take it back to the River Kabul, as submerged buildings appeared reappeared and blocked its passage.











Up in the Air......

A retailer's cabin brought by flood waters from upstream area stuck in Eucalyptus trees near Khat Killi village. A damaged Refrigerator is also visible inside the cabin.






A container brought by flood waters from maybe Peshawar, stuck in trees near Fish Market, Nowshera.












Main building of the newly built "Traskoon Restaurant" in the Fish Market severely damaged by flood water.










Another view of the destroyed Traskoon Restaurant in Nowshera Fish Market after the floods.












This is the lawn of Traskoon Restaurant, Nowshera after the floods.












Kitchen and store room of Traskoon Restaurant, Nowshera after the floods.











This was the River View point of Traskoon Restaurant, which has been partly washed away by floods. Water in the River Kabul is still higher than normal a week after the flood started.











A view of River Kabul near Bahria Foundation School and College, Nowshera. Water level is higher than normal.











This broken wall clock is one of the countless items that were washed away by the flood water.











A view of the Main Bridge on River Kabul that joins Nowshera with Mardan.












Mud left in an Auto Workshop in the "Old Shoba Bazaar" of Nowshera. This Bazaar was completely submerged in water.











A car stuck in mud left by flood waters near Old Auto Workshop (Shoba bazaar) of Nowshera.












Another car left in mud by flood waters near Auto Workshops in Nowshera.












Part of the old Auto Workshop (Shoba Bazaar) of Nowshera flattened by flash floods.











More photos coming soon...


Waqar Khattak
(waqar2211@gmail.com)

Swat - Once a heaven Now a Hell

The current situation in Swat Valley - once known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, is really terrible as the ongoing fighting between the Taliban and security forces has turned it into the most insecure place in Pakistan. The infrastructure has been severely damaged, schools have been blown up by the Taliban in hundreds, thousands of local people have migrated and are living miserable life as IDPs and the area has become a warzone. 

The people of Swat have never been religious or extreme in their religious beliefs. They never supported the Taliban. In fact the Swatians are famous for being materialistic among the Pashtuns. 

The so-called Peace Deal between Taliban and the NWFP Government is not a guarantee of peace untill and unless the Taliban are not disarmed and executed for the miseries and damage they have caused. I wonder why don't these Taliban go to Afghanistan and fight the US occupation forces or to Kashmir to fight the Indian occupation forces or to Palestine to teach lessons to the Zionists. What kind of Jihad are they pursuing by killing their own Muslims brothers who happen to be soldiers of Pakistan - the sole nuclear armed Muslim nation. 

The people of Swat are hopeless as they think that the government is not serious in eliminating these elements from Swat because they are a source of earning Dollars from the US. How come, a journalist can meet Mulla Fazlullah and any other Taliban leader and the Security forces are unable to trace him. The illegal FM channel that the Taliban are running to scare the people to death can easily be traced and destroyed or at least jammed.  I dont understand why the government is not using its full force to wipe these militants out. I would like to quote a lady from Swat, one of  the thousands of IDPs saying " We have been sold out by the government!"