CHITRAL-Booni Road is a viable project which has been funded by the Asian Development Bank and successfully implemented by the Chitral Area Development Project in 1994. After the introduction of the NGO culture in Chitral, the government has almost relegated its responsibilities as a welfare state.

Its core duties like the development of roads and healthcare services have been outsourced to NGOs which have developed a very complicated situation in the area.

During the development of Chitral-Booni Road, the project was executed by different companies. The Chinese company also participated in the construction work which ensured the quality of the work to a great extent.

Unfortunately, the metalled portion of the road has been squeezed from 16 feet to 12 feet for some unknown reason. This not only disfigured the giant project but has created problems as regards overtaking and traffic crossing.

Although for the last two decades the metalled portion has not been damaged, at some places cracks and holes are visible owing to the sliding of rocks and flash floods.

During the construction a huge amount of explosives were used to remove rocks and level the mountainous area. This developed cracks.

This partial damage is still visible on the road. Neither the government nor any NGO has ever bothered to fill these cracks. I hope the MPA of the area concerned would look into the problem.

Nasir Mehmood

Chitral

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2014