CHITRAL: The people of Chitral have criticised the apathy of the National Highway Authority (NHA) towards the maintenance of the local roads since taking over their control five months ago.

Talking to journalists, former district council member Riaz Diwanbegi said that after the formal transfer of Shandur Road (147km) and Garam Chashma Road (92km) to NHA, the communication and works department had removed its maintenance staff from the roads, thereby creating a vacuum as the NHA had yet to post its staff there.

He said during winter the roads needed special care and maintenance to keep them worthy for smooth vehicular traffic.

Mr Diwanbegi said the people of Chitral had a bad experience with the NHA which failed to maintain the Lowari-Chew Bridge (80km) Road which it had taken over five years ago.

He said the Shandur and Garam Chashma roads were going to suffer the same fate as they had started developing potholes while hilly terrains were prone to falling boulders and avalanches.

Ex-councillor says roads need special care in winter

The former councillor feared the Upper Chitral district and Lot Koh valley would be cut off from Lower Chitral during winter if the NHA did not establish its maintenance offices there and mobilise machinery on emergency basis.

A government contractor said the NHA had floated tenders for maintenance and repair works, but without first setting up a maintenance office the work would be of substandard quality.

Special assistant to chief minister on minorities’ affairs, Wazir Zada, said he was in touch with the NHA for setting up a maintenance office in Chitral by next month.

PASSING OUT PARADE: The passing out parade of jawans of Frontier Corps was held in Drosh cantonment here the other day in which 298 cadets were inducted into the force after successful completion of their nine-month training.

General Officer Commanding of Swat Division, Maj-Gen Khurram Sarfaraz Khan, took salute of the march past and administered oath to the jawans inducted into Chitral Scouts, Khyber Scouts and Bajaur Scouts.

Addressing the passing out cadets, Maj-Gen Sarfaraz asked the new entrants to the force to fully focus on their professional grooming.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021