CHITRAL: Rampant stone quarrying along roadside hills in parts of Chitral region, including Jughoor, Kari, Shasha and Shoghor, has left the local road network in shambles, complain residents.

They told Dawn that the illegal activity had caused extensive damage to major roads in the shape of large potholes.

Residents said those fissures widened over time, leading to the complete dilapidation of key transport links.

They accused the National Highway Authority, the communication and works department, and the tehsil municipal administration of criminal indifference.

The residents said despite being the custodians of those roads, the departments had allegedly allowed the “construction mafia” to operate with impunity.

They said the high-market demand for boulders in the construction industry had turned this environmental destruction into a lucrative business.

The residents said the practice continued unabated due to the tacit approval of relevant officials.

Trade union leader Din Muhammad Nadeem highlighted the long-term geological risks of the illegal activity.

“Quarrying at these sites creates deep fissures in the hills, triggering a chain reaction of disintegration,” he warned, emphasising that the stability of the entire terrain is at stake.

He and other community leaders called for an immediate ban on roadside quarrying to protect Chitral’s fragile infrastructure, which, they said, is already suffering from a lack of routine maintenance.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2026