13 February 2005	Sunday	03 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, Feb 12: Chairman, National Highway Authority, Maj-Gen Farrukh Javed said on Friday that an estimated Rs 400 to 500 million will be required for the repair of damage caused to portions of Makran Coastal Highway due to extraordinary rains.

Speaking at a press conference here after an aerial view of the highway, he said at least six months would be required for repairing damaged bridges, roads, breaches, roadside shoulders and other damages caused to the highway which was inaugurated on Dec 16, 2004, on which Rs 11 billion was spent.

Federal Minister for Communications Shamim Siddiqui was also present.

The Minister said the car rally planned as part of celebration of construction of this highway has been postponed.

The chairman of the NHA said if rain does not fall any more we would, by the grace of God, be able to restore traffic within a week's time through diversions at the portion where damages were caused to the highway.

He further said that repair of damaged portion of MCH, including addition of road structure, would be undertaken after a complete technical assessment of the damages by a team of expert consultants.

Maj-Gen Farrukh Javed said at scattered places he saw a number of vehicles stranded and people were being rescued by the services personnel.

Giving details of the MCH, Maj-Gen Farrukh said the general condition of 120-kilometre Liari-Agore Section, starting from Zero kilometre, is satisfactory, except the rain cuts on side slopes and at scattered locations on roadside shoulders.

He said the worst hit in this section was the 400-metre long Agore Bridge located in Liari-Agore section, due to huge discharge of water even 12 hours after the rainfall.

He said water has been seen flowing from over the bridge due to a 75-metre breach created by fast current of water.

"It is not possible to cross the bridge by any means at present due to fast flow of water through the breach as well as from bridge-top", he told newsmen.

Regarding situation at Agore-Ormara, a 125-km long section, the chairman said approximately 45 kilometre length of this section of the highway received the fast flash flood at three different locations, as a result breaches of 3 to 5 metres have been observed.

At two places the shoulders, approximately 500 metres, have also been either washed out or damaged by the rain water.

At a spot, about 40 kilometres short of Ormara, Maj-Gen Farrukh Javed said there is a pool of water on both sides of the road and a portion of five to six kilometres is also submerged, as a result, shoulders of the road, stretching 500 metres received damages.

Of the third section of MCH, the Ormara-Pasni Section which is 152 KM long, approximately 3 km portion of the road, about 15 kilometres from Ormara towards Pasni, is submerged in water, resulting into shoulder cuts and damages to the embankment of the road, he said.

The Chairman NHA said between km 25 and 29, complete portion of road has received an extraordinary amount of Basol River water.

The approach slab of Basol River Bridge, including two adjacent culverts, have been washed off. Water has flown from above the deck of bridge, damaging the down-stream structure constructed for water supply system for Ormara.

He said the road between KM 130 to 140 from Ormara has received the maximum damage due to collapse of Shadi Kore Dam. Complete area, including half of Pasni town, was inundated due to flash flood water. Both sides approach slabs of Shadi Kore Bridge and approximately 6 km of road has been completely washed off.-APP