THE main bridge at Istaru village in the Torkhow tehsil of Chitral had collapsed while a vehicle was crossing it a few months ago.

The incident had caused the loss of driver’s life. Ever since that incident, the traffic to Torkhow is directed through an alternative route which cuts through several villages of Istaru. The alternative road is so narrow and steep at multiple points that two vehicles cannot cross each other at the same time.

As if that was not enough, the recent snowfall has made the problems even worse. The problem could have been resolved and precious lives saved if an emergency bridge was installed at Istaru Gol on a priority basis. Till that happens, people will keep losing lives due to negligence on the part of the authorities.

Elahi Bakhsh
Chitral

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2020