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TIMERGARA, Feb 3: Traders of Lower Dir on Friday demanded early rebuilding of Chakdara's main bridge washed away by flash floods 17 months ago.
The demand was made during a meeting of Timergara Anjuman-i-Tajaran's executive council where Haji Anwaruddin was in the chair, while noted Lower Dir businessmen, including Haji Attaullah, Haji Abdul Rashid, Haji Hasinullah, Haji Mohammad Khan, Haji Amanullah Khan, Haji Waheedullah, Haji Khaisro Khan, Sawal Faqir and Alhajuddin were in attendance.Participants voiced displeasure at the government's failure to rebuild Chakdara bridge and threatened to observe a shutter-down strike if the bridge wasn't rebuilt within a month.
Timergara Anjuman-i-Tajaran president Haji Anwaruddin said unfortunately, locals' repeated requests to the government and National Highway Authority for bridge reconstruction had fallen on deaf ears.
He said at first, heavy vehicles (trailers and containers) with 40 tons goods were allowed to use the temporarily-built bridge at Chakdara Pul Chawky but later the weight limit was reduced to first 30 tons and then 20 tons.
"On average, a trailer weighs around 13 tons so we can load only seven tons goods on it before using the bridge," he said, adding that Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Bajaur and Chitral traders had to pay Rs20 extra for loading or unloading a bag in Chakdara.
Haji Anwaruddin said the bridge destruction had cost traders millions of rupees worth of losses.
He said provincial governor Masood Kausar recently assured Timergara trader leaders of early start of work on the bridge but the assurance turned out to be false.
Participants said they were ready to build the bridge from their own resources if the government and NHA publicly voiced their inability to do so for want of money.
