BAJAUR: Tesidents of Targaoo area here on Saturday complained about the closure of a road due to a massive landslide for several days and demanded of authorities to ensure its immediate reopening.

They told reporters that Targaoo-Memola Road, which connected several villages with other parts of Bajaur tribal district, had been closed to traffic since March 4 due to a landslide triggered by torrential rain.

The residents said that the failure of authorities to remove the large mass of rock and dirt from the key artery had troubled not only the locals but thousands of travellers from adjoining areas.

Noor Hasan, chairman of the local village council, said that it was the only road that linked several villages to other parts of the district.

He said that the continued closure of the road had restricted the movement of thousands of people.

“We didn’t expect the road closure for such a long time, especially when modern machinery is available for the speedy removal of the mass of dirt and rock,” he said.

The residents claimed that they informed local MPA Ajmal Khan and his brother and former MNA, Gul Dad Khan, about the issue on March 4 and requested their intervention for corrective measures by authorities, but the two didn’t make “effective efforts” to address the issue.

They said that the MPA and his brother had assured them that work to reopen the key artery would begin by the night of March 5.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2024