CHITRAL: The Faizabad village in Upper Yarkhoon valley has been cut off from rest of the district for last three weeks after a snow avalanche damaged the deck and abutment of a bridge.

The small isolated hamlet of 22 households is surrounded by lofty mountains on three sides and a river on the fourth, and the pedestrian bridge was the only link between the village and the Yarkhoon valley.

The president of Yarkhoon Lasht local council told Dawn on telephone that the delay in restoration of the bridge was multiplying the people’s misery. He said students were the worst sufferers as they were enrolled in schools situated in Yarkhoon Lasht on the opposite side of the river.

He said no patient and injured person could be shifted to the hospital in the absence of the bridge, while food items were also running out in the village.

Meanwhile, the Lowari tunnel will remain closed for 12 hours a day till further orders as per the standard operating procedures prepared and issued in line with the site requirements and safety of general public.

In a notice issued from the office of chief operating officer of Lowari tunnel the other day, it was stated that the 10.4km-long tunnel was still under-construction as its electric and mechanical work was yet to be completed.

The safety of general public warranted that the tunnel be put on soft operation for specified intervals with three breaks of two hours each in the daytime and six hours in the night-time, the notice read.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024