CHITRAL: The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) has decided to arrange for a waiting room for the people going to Chitral through the Lowari tunnel on its Dir side so that they could be protected from severe cold during a long wait for their turn to pass through the tunnel.

For this purpose, it has procured four containers which would be modified into a waiting room, also having the facility of separate toilets for men and women.

Talking to Dawn here, SRSP regional programme manager Noor Ajab Khan said that the Chitral-bound passengers had been facing hardships in the absence of any waiting room while waiting for turn of their vehicles for many hours.

He said that programme CEO Masoodul Mulk had decided to use the containers as a waiting room when NHA refused to allow construction of a building for the purpose as it had built on Chitral side last year.

He said that the containers were being modified into a double-walled vessel and proper arrangement of central heating would be made in it to protect the passengers from the effects of chilly winter winds.

Mr Khan said that Rs2.7 million would be spent on the project. He said that the women, children and patients would benefit the most from the project.

Usually, the passenger vehicles wait for their turn to pass through the tunnel, which sometimes extend to over five hours.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2014