MANSEHRA: District police officer Sadiq Baloch has held the National Highway Authority responsible for the traffic mess caused by the recent rains in Mansehra city and its outskirts.

The DPO complained to the NHA deputy director in Hazara division in a letter that traffic wardens of Mansehra had to do duty standing knee-deep in the rainwater after a fresh spell of downpour.

He said the rains flooded the roads, which were already in bad shape.

Mr Baloch complained about the NHA’s failure to repair and maintain roads and said not a single penny from the money collected by the Katain-da-Galla toll plaza in Mansehra had been spent on the people’s development and maintenance of local roads and Karakoram Highway for around one year.

He requested the NHA official to ensure the early repair and maintenance of roads to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

CNG OUTAGE: The district administration of Mansehra has announced that the local filling stations will not sell compressed natural gas six hours daily due to low gas pressure in houses following the recent rains and snowfall.

An order issued by deputy commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan at the request of the regional manager of the Southern Natural Gas Pipeline Limited in Abbottabad said CNG supply to motorists would be suspended from 6am to 9pm and 5pm to 9pm.

It added that if the restriction was violated, the CNG station would be sealed and its owner would be dealt with under the law.

BLASTING BANNED: The Mansehra administration has banned mining and blasting in mountains across the district, especially along roadsides, for ecological preservation.

The ban was imposed through an order issued by deputy commissioner Dr Qasim Ali Khan here on Thursday.

“The hill-cutting for mining and other purposes have been taking place in parts of the [Mansehra] district, especially alongside roads, which has been jeopardising the environment and ecosystem and destroying the scenic beauty,” read the order.

It added that the ban would remain intact until all stakeholders found a solution to the issue.

The order said violators of the ban would be punished under Section 188 of PPC.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2020