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A devastating cloudburst over Manogah Nullah has thrown Danyore into turmoil, triggering a crisis that threatens the very lifeblood of this densely populated mega-village. Once a stable and reliable waterscape sustaining both daily life and an agro-forestry-based economy, the area now faces an unfolding catastrophe marked by infrastructure collapse, environmental degradation, and growing public despair.
The deluge that began on July 21, 2025, ravaged the village’s two main water arteries: the essential irrigation canal and the piped drinking water supply. These were not mere conveniences — they were critical to survival. The flash flood choked the nullah, disrupted its natural flow, and destroyed the infrastructure that had long underpinned Danyore’s agricultural and domestic life.
In the immediate aftermath, local volunteers and the administration moved swiftly to initiate emergency restoration, particularly of the irrigation channel — a race against time to prevent crop failure. Yet the piped water system remains inoperative, a distant hope rather than a viable solution. With the access road alongside the nullah completely destroyed, repair crews cannot even reach the site. Until this road is rebuilt, large sections of the population remain cut off from clean water, forced to rely on costly water tanker services — far beyond the reach of most households.
The situation is deteriorating by the day. The nullah, now diverted from its traditional course, has become erratic and increasingly destructive. Alarmingly, it is carving dangerously close to land housing water reservoirs constructed by WASA — key assets in the region’s already fragile water management system. Without immediate, decisive intervention, these reservoirs and the irrigation channel itself could be compromised, plunging the region into a full-scale water crisis. Encouragingly, recent footage circulating on social media today on August 7, 2025, showed an excavator attempting to restore the nullah’s original path — a crucial first step, but one that must be backed by sustained engineering and administrative commitment.
Meanwhile, the impact on agriculture is already palpable. Danyore’s once-flourishing vegetation is withering at an alarming pace. Fields that fed families and supported livelihoods now lie thirsty and distressed. In Sharote Mohallah, near Sehhat Foundation Hospital, where I reside, vegetable plants and maize crops are visibly shriveling. The same situation may also occur in other areas where irrigation water is unavailable.Without immediate restoration of irrigation, crop failure is not a risk — it is an impending reality, potentially within days.
Danyore — comprising Central Danyore, Muhammadabad, and Sultanabad — is one of Gilgit’s largest and most populous localities. What is unfolding here is not a localized issue; it is a warning bell for the entire region.
In sum, Danyore is facing a complex and deepening crisis — a shattered waterscape, a looming collapse of water security, and a paralyzed agricultural system. Only urgent, coordinated, and far-sighted action can reverse the damage and safeguard what remains. The time has come to revisit the entire waterscape with a futuristic, environmentally informed approach — involving expert consultation, climate-resilient infrastructure planning, and robust disaster preparedness — before this crisis spirals beyond control.
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