Repair of damaged road near Chew bridge begins
CHITRAL: The communications and work (C&W) department started repairing a portion of the Garam Chashma road near Chew bridge on which water continued to flow for weeks.
The department took the action only after senior journalist Gul Hamad Farooqui highlighted the issue in the media.
The water flowing from a stream into the already dilapidated road was creating problems for the locals besides further damaging the road.
Department’s sub-engineer Khalid Bashir told ChitralToday that executive engineer Usman Yousuf Shinwari had directed him to mobilize the contractor and stop the flow of water into the road and repair the damaged portion forthwith.
He said this was a temporary arrangement till the road would be constructed from Chew bridge to the airport for which tenders would be floated soon.
It may be noted that the road near Chew bridge had collapsed about two years ago and due to its poor condition a vehicle also fell off the road into the river killing nine people.
On that occasion too, the same journalist had highlighted the poor condition of the road after which it was repaired on a temporary basis.
The road not only connects Chitral town with the airport and nearby villages but is also the only artery towards the Garam Chashma valley.
But for years, successive governments have failed to repair it despite protests by the locals.