Sher Afgan
BOONI: Work on the removal of debris from Shandur road started from Booni on Tuesday.
The district administration Upper Chitral earlier today announced that the district government and National Highway Authority (NHA) officials inaugurated the work on Shandur road from Booni, 153 km, near the Booni bridge. However, later through social media it said the work was only for removal of debris and snow.
Sources said the chief minister was expected to visit the area to inaugurate the road project soon and that’s why the inauguration had been delayed.
The road from Chitral to Shandur and onwards to Gilgit is being widened in phases and the road had been divided into different packages. However, due to shortage of funds, land owned by local people to be used for the road in villages has not been acquired.
The road from Chitral to Mastuj and onwards to Shandur as well as Yarkhun remains in a poor shape due to lack of maintenance.
The reconstruction of the road was approved by the previous PML-N government but after coming to power the PTI put the project along with the construction of Kalash valleys and Garam Chashma roads in the back burner.