SWAT: The residents of Kalam here on Saturday demanded of government to take effective measures to repair Kalam Road, otherwise they would take to streets in protest.

Led by Hameed Salman, Ejaz Ehsan, Syed Nabi, Akhtar Ali, Munawar, Ameer Gul and Riaz, members of Kalam Action Committee said that recent heavy rains and floods severely damaged the road from Bahrain to Kalam, rendering it impassable at various points.

“The floods, triggered by heavy rainfall, have destroyed sections of Kalam Road, making movement to Kalam very difficult. Only small vehicles and vans are able to navigate the route while large vehicles such as coasters and buses are unable to access it,” they said, adding that the situation affected people and tourists in the area.

They said that despite the deployment of a few excavator machines to clear the sliding debris and rocks, the road was currently only passable one way at a time. It is suitable only for 4x4 vehicles or small cars in good condition, with big vehicles unable to traverse the road. They said that the residents of Kalam relied on tourism and agriculture, both of which necessitated a well-maintained road infrastructure.

A meeting was also held between Kalam Hotel Action Committee and army officials that decided to commence regular restoration work on Kalam Road through National Highway Authority (NHA) on Monday.

The meeting decided that strict measures would be taken against people preading negative information on social media regarding the upcoming project. Major Salman, Subedar Shabbir and their team represented army at the meeting.

Kalam Hotel Action Committee appreciated the army’s efforts for restoring the road amid the recent adverse weather conditions. It pledged to collaborate with authorities to promote tourism in the area.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2024