Introduction

Union Council Shahpur is situated at a distance of about 27-km in Northeast from main town of Alpuri Shangla. The UC area falls in the moist Temperate Zone thus receiving summer monsoon (July, August) and winter snowfall. Normally the snowfall starts in mid-November and lasts till mid April Occasionally early snowfall is also observed.

The climate in summer is moderate and pleasant and average rainfall ranges 1500-2000 mm/year. The slopes in the upper portions are steep and comparatively moderate in the lower portions.

Total area is 11296 Acre Its height from sea level is 4400 feet. In the October, 8, 2005 tragedy of the earth quack 30people lost their lives, 1100 became seriously injured, 80 % dwelling houses completely damaged while others were not fit for further use and life risk was involved in it. There are two Mawaziat i-e Mauza Shahpur and Barkana. Area of Mauza Barkana is 4875 Acre and 6420 Acre of the Mauza shahpur.

LANGUAGES:- The majority of the people speaks Pushto language, the Gujars speaks Gujro and there are few families of Kohistani, who speaks Kohistani.

LITERACY RATE: -The literacy rate is 14.4%.

Tribes; - There are three major sections in the UC i.e. Pakhtoon, Miangan/ Saidan and Gujjar. These sections are spread over in different hamlets Kalay, Barkana, Shahpur Jinkikheil, Shahpur Azikhil, Amir Nagar, Naway Kalay, Kooz Hal, Bar Hal, Shalia, Kandaw, Drad, Shonial Sar, Shahpur Khwarh, Karai, Hafiz Abad, Tangwan, Damana, Barkana Jai, Gaji Khwarh, Asharh and Bilanday.

Geographic co-ordinates
Let: 30? - 8? Long: 67? - 21?

Total population
19904 (according to 1998 census Report)

Total village area
11296 Acre

North Boundary with
Damori

East boundary with
Kood Mang

South boundary with
Kooz Kana

West boundary with
Lilownai

Population: - According to 1998, census the population of the is as under;-

Note; - The annual growth rate in population is 3.3%.

It was morning of October 8, 2005 when a powerful and devastating earthquake struck the northern part of Pakistan causing major destruction and playing havoc with millions of lives. The affected areas were the Shangla, Mansehra, Bata gram, Kohistan, Abbotabad districts and four districts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. More than 70,000 people lost their lives out of those 35,000 were children who were attending schools at that time. Most of the civil society infrastructure such as schools, colleges, roads, and hospitals were collapsed and destroyed. The Thousands of Kacha & Pacca dwelling houses are completely demolished, while others are partially damaged which are not fit for further use as these are dangerous and life risk is involved in their further use. Recent devastating earth quake badly affected almost whole population of the District in one or other shape.

The remote district of Shangla consists of scattered populations 554818 divided into tiny, mountain-top hamlets spread out across a vast area. Due the nature of this difficult terrain some areas are difficult to access by road. The number of total households is 53529 and average household size is 8 persons per family. The population density is 341 persons per square kilometer. Total area of the District is 1586 sq-Km (339614 Acres) in which 104672 Acres (31%) is cultivated and 109685 Acres (32 %) is forest. It consists of 2 Tehsils i-e Tehsil Alpuri and Puran with 44 Patwar Circles and 111 villages. The District comprises of 1 National, 2 Provincial Assembly Seats, 2 Tehsil Councils and 28 Union Councils.

.

Shangla is a backward and tribal society where majority of the people live below the poverty line and are illiterate. Any one can estimate living standard of its people from a report recently issued by the government in which Shangla district was on top in ratio of poverty through out NWFP.

The literacy rate is 14.7% (25.2% in male & 3.7% in female). The government has so far been a big disappointment in changing the socio-economic conditions of the people and in this advanced technological age of the 21st century we are still lacking the basic infrastructure of the basic necessities of life.

District Shangla is full of natural resources like emerald, Marble, Chromites, Soap stone etc and there is a vast scope of investment and development. Similarly the area has a variety of fauna and flora like Markhur, Brown Bear, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Wolf, Pigeons, Monkeys, Chakor, and Dove etc. In flora medicinal plants like Banafsha, Tarkha, Unab, Mushkibala, white Rose and Mint etc are found in the area which are of great importance.

The inhabitants of the Shangla are deprived of basic needs, infrastructure, education, health, road and other facilities. The main road which connects Shangla with Swat and other parts of the country is in a very bad condition and it is difficult to drive over it.

Following is a data about Shangla district.

S.No
Description
Details

1.
Total Area

1586 Sq-Km (339614 Acres)

2.
Cultivated Area

104672 Acres (31%)

3.
Un-Cultivated Area
234942 Acres (69%)

4.
Forest

109685 Acres (32%)

5.
Irrigated Land
7599 Acres (2%)

6.
Non-Irrigated land
97073 Acres (29%)

7.
Soil
The soil of Shangla is very deep silt-loam

8.
Population
554818 (2.5% of the total population of the NWFP.

9.
Average growth rate in population
3.27% per year

10.
Total Household
53529 (According to 1988 census)

11.
Household size
8 persons per family.

12.
Population Density
341 persons per Sq-Km.

13.
Total No of Villages
111

14
Patwar Circles
44

15.
Union Councils
28

16.
Tehsils
2 i-e Alpuri & Puran

17.
Literacy Rate
14.7% (25.2% in male & 3.7% in female)

18.
Ratio of government employers
5.6%

19.
Boundaries.

East: - District Batagram &Triable area of Kala Dhaka.

West: - District Swat. South: - District Buneer &Triable area of Kala Dhaka.

North: - District Kohistan.

The people of Shangla are known as being proudly independent and surviving for centuries in mountains. They occupy small stretches of agricultural land and accustomed to living on its produce while many people works in coal mines of Baluchistan, Sind and Punjab. The Ratio of government employers is 5.6%.

Recent devastating earth quake badly affected almost whole population of the District in one or other shape. This natural disaster took about thousands human lives, seriously injured many more persons. The climate in the region is cold with patches of moderate weather in summers. The inhabitants of Shangla district are lying under open sky in this cold severe weather on mercy of God. The worst affected areas in Shangla district are union councils Shahpur, Damori, Pirkhana, Koozkana, Maira, Shang, Dandai, Kormang, and Sarkool.

UNION COUNCIL WISE DETAILS OF DAMAGES:

The breakdown of population and estimated number of affected families in badly affected areas of district Shangla given below.

S.No
Union Council
Population
Total Household
NO of Household affected
% of affected Household

1.
Shahpur
20528
2566
2052
80%

2.
Damori
13907
1760
1050
60%

3.
Pirkhana
22325
2826
1400
50%

4.
Koozkana
10368
1312
500
40%

5.
Maira
12800
1622
1500
90%

6.
Shang
10917
1418
1000
70%

7.
Dandai
11926
1662
1500
80%

8.
Sarkool
19309
2413
1700
70%

9.
Kormang
9843
1278
900
70%

10.
Bunerwal
14398
1800
900
50%

11.
Chakisar
16974
2122
1050
50%

12.
Behlool Khel
20475
2409
1450
60%

13
Kamach Nusrat Khel
17536
2063
1450
70%

IMMEDIATE MEASURES REQUIRED:

. While keeping in mind agonies of the earth quake victims their first immediate requirement is CGI sheets and cements for reconstruction of their houses.

Secondly they required health facilities i-e MCH centers/Hospitals, Free medicines.

Thirdly they need vocational training centers and professional skill for their sustainable development.

There fore I request the world community, NGOs and donor agencies that Keeping in view low standard of living of its people lack of infrastructure severe cold winter separate geography and damages of devastating earth quake the people of Shangla District Shangla donate generously for reconstruction of educational institutes, health centers, vocational centers, streets, roads and other facilities in the earthquake affected areas of Shangla district on humanitarian basis, Because it require immediate attention for its sustainable development, reconstruction and rehabilitation.

SULTAN ROME
ADVOCATE HIGH COURT PESAWAR
SHANGLA LAW CHAMBER
SHANGLA DISTRICT BAR ASSOCIATION
AT ALPURI, DISTRICT SHANGLA,
NWFP PAKISTAN
E-mail:- sultan_shangla@yahoo.com
Ph # +92996850885 (Office)
+92996885488 (Residence)