KOHAT: The shortage of bitumen due to its diversion to other important projects and security concerns from certain quarters could delay the completion of dualisation of Kohat-Hangu highway and Kohat university road project.

When contacted to know the reasons for the delays, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority assistant director Shakir Khan told this correspondent that shrine issues, encroachments and the objection from the Police Training College, Hangu, had halted work on about 12-kilometre stretch of the 24 kilometres road project, which would cost Rs1 billion.

He said that there was acute shortage of bitumen and the oil refineries were not producing it up to the requirements of the national highway authorities, communication and works and other departments, which was also hampering the development of university road.

Official says 45pc work still incomplete on Hangu highway

The official disclosed that the oil refineries gave priority to the CPEC projects and ignored small schemes in distribution of bitumen which had affected the Rs900 million university road project. Similarly, the eight-month ban on crush machines and non-cooperation of PTCL, people and forest department also hampered work on the Hangu highway. He said that slow release of funds and non-payments to contractors was another reason. He said that 45 per cent work was remaining on the Hangu highway and 25 per cent on university road and they could not meet the deadline of Dec 2018 because many public disputes were still unresolved. Likewise, most of the payment was pending in case of the university road project.

The Kohat-Hangu project was also facing security concerns from the college officials on a piece of three-kilometre dualisation who had stated that it was not feasible due to threat of terrorism. They said that the road would pass very close to the college which would make it vulnerable. He said that a year was wasted in removing of jungles because the forest department stopped them from cutting trees taking the plea that they were busy in tsunami campaign and could not allow removal of green belts. The people opposing to move their shrines and houses has also been delaying the Hangu highway project.

The KPHA official said that there was 22-feet encroachment in Ustarzai and despite section 4 the people were not ready to vacate the site. He said that the cases had been brought into notice of the administration who had promised to take them up with the local elders after Eid holidays.

Shakir Khan said that blasting of the mountain on Hangu highway was taking too long. He said that the timings for traffic suspension on the road were from 10pm to 1am and during that space they had to engage in blasting and removal of material.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2018