PESHAWAR, March 23: The road infrastructure damaged by recent spell of heavy rain and snowfall requires Rs622.48 million for repairs and rehabilitation in the NWFP, officials said.
The Works and Services Department recently carried out a survey of road network in 14 districts of the province to assess damages caused by torrential rain and avalanches.
Sources said that the provincial government had also sought financial assistance from donor agencies, including the World Bank, for repair and rehabilitation of roads and other sectors.
Following the provincial government’s request, a World Bank team visited the provincial capital to evaluate losses and discussed assistance package for the rehabilitation of the road network.
“The government will discuss its plan with other international financial institutions to obtain funds for the rehabilitation of social sector in the rain-affected areas of the province,” one senior functionary said.
Officials said that the natural disaster also caused damages to school buildings, health-care centres, drinking water schemes, telephone, and electricity and irrigation system in upper parts of the province, which required a huge sum of money.
The recent widespread rain and record snowfall followed by avalanches paralyzed life in the hilly areas of the NWFP and left over 370 people dead, including women and children, while about 500 people suffered fatal and minor injuries.
According to the provincial Flood Commission report, 26,930 houses have completely collapsed while over 76,837 houses have suffered partial damage.
Some 92 families who lost their relatives in the rain-related incidents and 330 wounded persons have yet to get compensation due to non-availability of funds.
The commission, officials said, needed Rs350 million to be paid as compensation to the rain-affected families. The federal government has yet to entertain the request of the provincial government to release the compensation amount.
Officials said that the MMA government had also appealed to the missions of various Islamic countries in Islamabad to give donations for the rain-stricken areas, but has not received any positive response so far.
According to the W&S department report, the wet spell wrecked road infrastructure in Mansehra, Haripur and Swat districts, the three main areas of tourist attraction in the province.
The department concerned has estimated Rs123 million as repair cost of roads in Mansehra district, Rs96.550 million in Haripur, Rs97.400 million in Swat, Rs30 million in Battagram, Rs42.644 in Bannu, Rs21 million in Kohistan, Rs34 million in Lower Dir and Rs30 million in Upper Dir district.
The sources said that the Frontier Highway Authority, which looks after inter-district roads, required Rs73 million for the repair and rehabilitation of road network. The government has directed all the departments and district governments concerned to assess cost of damages.
