MANSEHRA: The Frontier Works Organisation on Tuesday filled the Ichar Nullah with mud and rocks following the bridge’s destruction by flash floods and allowed light vehicles to use the way to proceed to other parts of the province as well as Gilgit-Baltistan via the Karakoram Highway.

The concrete bridge was swept away by floodwater the other day suspending traffic between KP and GB. Soil erosion also damaged residential quarters of Chinese workers of the Dasu hydropower project.

An official of the FWO told reporters in Dasu area that machinery, trucks and heavy vehicles weren’t allowed to move on the makeshift Ichar Nullah passage.

He said the installation of a suspension bridge on Ichar Nullah was under way and it would be completed in five to seven days.

KKH BLOCKED: The residents, including local body members and traders, blocked the Karakoram Highway in Dodial area here for many hours on Tuesday to protest power outages and a new tax in power bills.

Chairman of the Dodial village council Zakir Hussain said despite its failure to ensure smooth electric supply to the people, the government was fast increasing electricity tariff and imposing more and more taxes on power consumers both domestic and commercial.

He said new taxes were unacceptable to the people, who were already hit by escalating rates of essential goods and utility services.

Chairman of the Shanai village council Qari Sajid, councillors Zubair Shah and Niaz Mohammad and representatives of the business community Nasir Saeed and Mohammad Younas also addressed protesters and complained about the rising cost of living and doing business.

The protesters marched on the highway, gathered in the central bazaar and blocked traffic from afternoon to evening to the misery of motorists and commuters.

They shouted slogans against the Pesco and warned if power outages continued, they would block the highway for an indefinite period.

Assistant commissioner Novaria Farooq and deputy superintendent of police Sabir Khan held talks with protesters.

Meanwhile, two people were killed in separate incidents here on Tuesday.

Mohammad Yaqoob, 60, was killed after being struck by lightning in his slum house in Siren valley here.

Arshad Zaman died from snakebite near his house in Chajar area of Oghi tehsil here.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2022