LOWER DIR: The district administration here has directed the livestock department to expedite measures to stop spread of Congo virus and lumpy skin disease in the district.

A team of the livestock and dairy development department led by its district director Dilbar Khan on Sunday visited different cattle markets in the district and carried out spray against lumpy skin disease and Congo fever.

Talking to mediapersons in Timergara, Dr Khan said the campaign would continue till Eid so that the spread of lumpy skin disease and Congo fever could be prevented in the district.

Veterinary doctor Mukhtiar Ahmad told this scribe that the cattle skin disease could be controlled through quarantining the affected cattle and vaccination or slaughtering the affected animals.

A resident Abdul Hadi, meanwhile, said that the prices of sacrificial animals this time had been higher compared to the past due to current inflation.

SUBSTANDARD MATERIALS: Residents of Talash here on Sunday demanded of the Lower Dir administration to take notice of the substandard materials being used in the construction of Kalpani-Talash bypass road.

Talking to mediapersons, they said that cracks had appeared in the culverts built on the road before its blacktopping at Banrgi and Narai Shah areas.

The 10km road was approved in 2015 with a cost of Rs680 million and work on it started in 2016, but it was yet to be completed. The contractors had stopped work on the project several times due to unavailability of funds.

The residents demanded of the authorities to keep regular check on the materials being used for construction of this road.

Meanwhile, electricity consumers claimed to have received ‘inflated’ bills due to imposition of heavy taxes, including fuel price adjustment.

Talking to mediapersons, the consumers demanded of the federal government to provide them relief and abolish all the taxes in the electricity bills.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2022