CHITRAL: The residents of Broghil in Upper Chitral have said that the alternate road from Kishmanja to Pechus has connected the valley to other areas.

The 32-kilometre road connected by two suspension bridges was constructed by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme under its Central Asian Poverty Programme two years ago.

The residents said that about 10 years ago, the government connected the valley with the rest of the country by constructing a jeepable track. The track passed through a long chain of hilly area, which used to remain disconnected due to rock falling, avalanches and debris that also endangered the lives of passersby, they added.

Qadam Ali, the cluster manager of 19 village organisations executing the road project, and community members Rehmat Nawaz, Sher Zaman, Faiz Mohammad and others said that the alternate road was really a ‘game changer’ for the remote valley bereft of basic amenities till recently.

They said that an all-weather road to the valley was really a dream for its dwellers. They said that the dream came true with the completion of the road project. They said that owing to limited funds, the government had not included the two bridges in its scheme and the road was aligned straight passing through the valley.

Locals said that after the closure of the road, the residents of the upper parts of the valley had to travel for more than 12 hours with the luggage on their backs or spending extra amount on paying fare for pony while the local shopkeepers also charged extra for additional expenses on transportation of items during those months.

They said that potential of agriculture and tourism remained underutilised for want of all-weather road. They said that the road would boost local economy and alleviate poverty in the area.

They said that the alternate road also connected three villages of the lower valley including Kishmanja, Pechus and Vedin Khot situated on the opposite side of the old road.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2024