CHITRAL: A 400-metre segment of airport road, located near Chew Bridge, is on the verge of being eroded by the adjacent river, leaving little room for the pedestrians, while the northern parts comprising Balach, Singur, Seen Lusht and Dolomus areas is feared to be completely cut off if immediate attention was not paid to stem the erosion.

The residents of Chitral complained that the National Highway Authority (NHA) did not bother to take timely action to contain the road segment, as things began deteriorating in March.

Farooq Ali Shah, a councilor from Balach, said that road had been constructed on a narrow patch between the river and the steep hill of Chew by erecting about 600 meters retaining wall, which is being damaged due to high flood in the river.

He said that the damage to the retaining wall started in this spring season when a private party diverted the whole river into it, using heavy machinery, to save its filling station located on the opposite side while the NHA and the district administration did not take any notice.

Mr. Shah said that the erosion of the road would leave only viable option for the affected population to use 10-km diversion, using Gankorini Bridge.

Chairman of Chitral Development Movement (CDM), Waqas Ahmed advocate alleged that it was negligence of NHA officers who did not take any notice of the diversion of the river during last winter.

The Assistant Director maintenance of NHA based at Chitral, Amir Zaib, when contacted for his version, blamed the communication & works department for using rough rubble stones in the retaining wall instead of cement concrete.

He conceded that the issue popped up as a result of diversion of river towards the road and said that the owner of the filling station had diverted the water to erect his structure on the opposite bank.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2025