MANSEHRA: Central Mahandri Bridge, which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan via Kaghan Valley, is rapidly becoming dangerous due to erosion and accumulation of silt in the stream over which it has been built.

“The government widened this steel bridge last year to accommodate heavy traffic on Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road, but the section of the stream where it has been placed

on concrete beams has become dangerously eroded. If not repaired immediately, it could pose a serious risk to human lives in tourism season,” Babu Ashraf, a local, told journalists on Thursday.

Flanked by a group of residents from Mahandri, which is the commercial hub of Manoor Valley, adjacent to Kaghan Valley, he said that the previous

concrete bridge had been washed away by flash floods in recent years, after which a small steel structure was erected to maintain traffic flow between KP and GB as well as within Mansehra district.

“The earlier steel bridge was washed away twice by recent floods, prompting government to replace it with this larger facility last year,” said Ashraf. He added that in the past, whenever the bridge was damaged, traffic remained suspended for weeks, badly affecting tourism industry.

“The government should realise the importance of the bridge and, to avoid any mishap during the rainy season and floods, immediately begin desilting the stream section beneath it and carry out necessary repairs without halting traffic,” he said.

Another resident said that several people were killed and dozens of shops, houses, electric turbines and bridges were washed away by flash floods in the last and previous years.

“Mahandri is a flood-prone area and has suffered significant human and financial losses in recent years. The government should recognise its sensitivity and ensure immediate repair and desilting work,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026