When flash floods tore through Lower Chitral last week, they didn't just destroy homes — they buried entire residential areas under boulders and thick sludge. Now, a quiet but determined response is unfolding in the villages of Jughur and Broze, driven not by government machinery but by everyday citizens stepping into the breach. Main Developments Sunday's cleanup operation brought together civil society organisations, Chitral Scouts personnel, and student volunteers who spent hours digging through collapsed structures under intense heat. The Al-Khidmat Foundation, Muhammad Talha Mahmood Foundation, Human Care Foundation, and Helping Hand all deployed teams to the two hardest-hit villages. Their arrival filled a void left by official relief efforts. While the district administration provided tents and emergency food supplies, affected families say the task of debris removal was left entirely to them — a burden they describe as literally impossible to manage alone. Read also: Why Balochistan's Security Crisis Is Escalating Faster Than Ever Alongside the manual labour, critical infrastructure work has begun. Non-governmental organisations joined forces with the Chitral Scouts, who brought in heavy machinery to widen and secure blocked water channels. The channelisation of the local nullah is now under way to reduce vulnerability to future torrents. Background The recent deluge was triggered by Glof — glacial lake outburst floods — and cloudbursts, a growing threat in mountainous regions as climate patterns shift. Hundreds of families across Lower Chitral have been rendered homeless, with many losing virtually everything they owned. For residents still sifting through the wreckage, the recovery is painfully slow. One affected resident in Jughur told media that displaced villagers are desperately working to unearth whatever personal belongings remain buried deep beneath the debris. Why It Matters The divide between official relief and on-ground reality reveals a systemic gap in disaster response. When the state provides survival supplies but not recovery support, the poorest families — those without resources to hire equipment or labour — face the slowest path back to normalcy. This volunteer-driven model, while commendable, is not sustainable for every disaster. It raises pressing questions about whether local administrations have the capacity — or the mandate — to handle post-flood reconstruction, not just immediate aid distribution. What's Next The nullah channelisation work marks a critical first step toward long-term protection, but completion timelines remain unclear. For now, the immediate priority is clearing enough debris for families to access their homes and salvage what remains. As displaced residents continue their painstaking search through the rubble, the broader question lingers: will the government institutionalise this kind of support, or will Chitral's recovery remain dependent on the goodwill of volunteers?