MIRAMSHAH: A flood protection project worth Rs1.52 billion in North Waziristan has come under intense public scrutiny after a newly-constructed protection wall in Hamzoni area collapsed during recent flash floods.
The protection was built a month ago. After its collapse, floodwater inundated nearby agricultural lands, destroying standing crops and irrigation channels. Local farmers said that the flood caused them huge losses.
The incident triggered widespread anger among locals, who accused authorities and contractors of poor construction standards, misuse of public funds and lack of accountability. They demanded an independent and transparent investigation into the project and strict action against those found responsible.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Taimur Khan said that he had ordered an inquiry into the collapse of the protection wall.
Locals show concern about engineering standards of project
Videos circulating on social media show large sections of the protection wall giving way under the pressure of floodwater, raising serious concerns about the quality of construction despite the project’s massive cost.
Local social activist Malik Safdar alleged that although the project was approved at a cost of Rs1.52 billion, around Rs500 million had been released while work worth only Rs30 million to Rs40 million was actually carried out on the ground.
He claimed that the remaining funds were allegedly misappropriated through the collusion of influential individuals and some local elders. Affected farmers expressed frustration, saying they had lost the only source of livelihood.
“We are poor farmers. Our land and crops are our livelihoods. Had even those three to four billion rupees been spent honestly and according to engineering standards, our fields would not have been destroyed and we would not have suffered losses worth millions,” a farmer said.
Another resident of the area said that seasonal flooding was a recurring problem and the protection wall was built specifically to divert floodwater.
“The wall collapsed during the very first major flood. Had it been properly constructed, the water could have been diverted and our crops would have been saved,” he said.
Locals said that several acres of farmland were submerged after the wall collapsed, destroying standing crops and pushing many farming families towards severe financial hardship. They urged government to provide immediate compensation to affected farmers.
They also called for a comprehensive technical audit of the project, a forensic examination of financial records and a transparent investigation into the utilisation of public funds.
Local sources said that the district administration’s inquiry would examine the construction quality, utilisation of funds and the role of relevant government departments, consultants and contractor.
Locals urged government to ensure that, if corruption, negligence or violation of engineering standards were established during the inquiry, those responsible were prosecuted without discrimination, misappropriated public funds were recovered, affected farmers were compensated and the protection wall was rebuilt in accordance with modern engineering standards to prevent similar losses in the future.
Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2026
