CHITRAL: The flood-hit suspension bridge in Osiak Drosh village was opened to traffic on Tuesday after being repaired by the communication and works department.

The bridge connecting Jinjirait, Jinjirait Koh, Arsoon and Sweer villages with the rest of the district was hit by flash floods two weeks ago.

Chief engineer of communication and works department Dawood Shah told reporters here that his department had made hectic efforts during the last two weeks to reopen roads and repair suspension bridges damaged or destroyed by the flash floods.

He said the roads and suspension bridges were the worst hit by heavy rains and glacial lake outburst floods.

Shah said repairs had been done to roads in Mulkhow Gohkir, Charun, Zondrnagram Terich, Birir, Oveer, Booni Mastuj and other areas to reopen them to light vehicles.

He said the suspension bridges washed away by floods in Muzhgol, Kosht, Shoghor, Hasanabad would take months for reconstruction but steel bridges could be installed there in weeks.

STRIKE: Officers of the Provincial Management Service cadre observed pen-down strike in Chitral against the alleged discrimination by the federal bureaucracy posted to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During the strike, they wore black armbands.

Additional assistant commissioners Abdul Akram Khan and Syed Mazhar Ali Shah told Dawn that PMS officers had stopped routine work on the direction of their association but carried out emergency work related to relief operations for flood victims.

They said they would act in unison with the association members and continue their strike until further orders.

GOODS DISPATCHED: Al-Khidmat Foundation dispatched relief goods to Shoghore village located along the Chitral-Garam Chashma Road.

The recent flash floods had swept away around 100 houses and damaged roads.

The closure of roads had caused problems for local population due to delay in the start of relief operations.

Rafiuddin of the Al-Khidmat Foundation said his organisation had dispatched relief goods consisting of edible items and household goods through volunteers as the roads were likely to be reopened to vehicles after three weeks.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2015

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