SWABI: The recent monsoon rains here have created big potholes in the main and link roads, pointing to use of substandard material in their construction.

In a chat with this correspondent, the residents alleged that the main reason for the broken roads was that substandard material was used in their construction by contractors in connivance with officials of the relevant department.

They said that the contractors should be questioned for bad condition of the recently-constructed roads.

“Successive governments were aware of the use of substandard material in the construction, but they closed their eyes because they did not want to harm their political position,” said Rehman Sher of Maneri Bala region.

The residents said that Swabi-Topi road had developed ditches near the DC office due to rains, creating problems for the commuters and pedestrians.

The condition of Topi-Ghazi road was so bad that transporters felt hesitant to ply their vehicles on it, but those going to Rawalpindi from Topi had no option because there was no alternative route.

Similarly, big potholes could been seen in the road near the main market of GadoonAmazai Industrial Estate as loaded vehicles going to the Gadoon estate passed through it. The residents said that this road was constructed recently.

In addition, people said that the Maneri-Saleem Khan road was also in bad shape and unfit for use after the recent rains. The Maneri-Pirtab road, Topi-Tarbela road and Gohati-Afghan refugee camp road, which were rebuilt during the last few years, were also broken at several places and needed immediate repairs.

ARRESTED: Police here claimed to have arrested two ice drug sellers with the banned contraband.

SHO Zaida police station Ajab Durrani said that they stopped two motorcyclists for search and recovered 32 grams of ice drug from their possession. In addition, he said that they also recovered a digital scale from them. The two were identified as Abdul Basit and Abubakar.

KILLED: Two persons were killed in separate road accidents here on Thursday.

A teenager identified as Anees Khan, 14, died after his bike was hit by a truck on Swabi-Mardan road. Police have registered an FIR against the truck driver.

Another motorcyclist, identified as Ziaullah Khan, was killed in a road accident in Yaqoubi village.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2020