Roads blocked by heavy snowfall reopened: C&W

Gul Hamaad Farooqi

CHITRAL: Heavy snowfall occurred in Chitral after 15 years due to which the already dilapidated roads to various valleys were blocked.  

Communication and Works (C&W) Department’s Executive Engineer Riaz Wali Shah while talking to this correspondent claimed that his department started removing snow from these roads using the  maintenance and repair fund.

He said the department engaged Drosh Construction Company to remove the snow from the roads to all the valleys and open them for traffic. In various valleys across Chitral, C&W department has engaged  tractors that are removing snow from the roads with blades and opening the roads for traffic, he added.

“We try to keep the roads open for traffic at all times so people should not face any difficulty. This is the reason why, despite limited resources, the department is removing snow from all the roads which  were  closed creating difficulties  for people even to walk on them.”

Director  of Drosh Construction Company Subedar (retired) Haider Ali Shah said as soon as we received instructions our workers machinery started moving and our team visited these valleys and cleared the snow from the roads of   Rumbor, Bumburate, Birir, Sweer, Ursoon, Jinjirit Koh, Madaglasht, internal roads of Drosh, Beuri, Arandu, Hospital Road, Old  Bazar, Mughalanda and Governor Cottage roads. 

Qazi of Kalash community, Shahi Gul Kailash, who  is also a well-known social worker, said due to the snowfall locals were facing a lot of difficulties and could not even take patients to hospital but the C&W department provided a tractor and cleared the roads. She also thanked the C&W Department and its respective contractors who started the work immediately and cleared these roads.

A tourist, Dr. Sadia Khalil, from Karachi was in Chitral for the first time and she was going to Kalash valley. She was more excited by seeing the snowbound road. She said more attention was needed on these roads so that tourists do not face difficulties in commuting here.