Careless road blasting by NHA damages houses; one injured

Fakhr-e-Alam

BOONI: At least one person was injured and multiple houses were damaged when large pieces of rocks showered on houses in Booni Lasht village from blasting of a mountain by National Highway Authority across the river during the construction of Chitral-Mastuj road.

Panic gripped the residents of Booni Lasht after the blasting was carried out in front of Booni Lasht village on the other side of the river without proper precautionary measures. This caused huge property damages and threats to human lives in the village.

At least one person was reportedly injured when his leg was hit by a rock. The blasts also caused widespread fear in the area as the walls and tin roofs of houses were pierced by stone pieces through inside.

The local people have strongly condemned the irresponsible attitude of the NHA authorities and demanded compensation for their damaged losses.

They have also announced a protest in Booni on Monday. The villagers said that the NHA’s work had caused them more harm than benefit as the authority had previously dumped the debris of the construction in the Chitral river which narrowed its passage and caused a permanent threat to their lands.

Similar complaints were also raised last year by the residents of Awi against dumping of debris in their irrigation channel blocking it and damaging their lands.