Staff Correspondent
CHITRAL: Traffic on the Garam Chashma Road could not be restored for a third consecutive day after flash floods washed away sections of the road, leaving commuters and local residents facing continued hardship.
Residents stranded on both sides of the road at Shasha told this correspondent that they had been waiting since 9am, adding that patients could not continue their journey without assistance.
Although National Highway Authority (NHA) officials have expressed optimism about reopening the road, no timeline has been given for the resumption of traffic.
Locals said the pace of restoration work remained slow despite the presence of NHA machinery, raising concerns that the road may remain closed for several more days.
Residents of Lotkoh Valley appealed to the district administration and NHA authorities to speed up restoration efforts, warning that food shortages were emerging in the area. They said recent floods had already destroyed potato and pea crops, while the remaining produce was at risk of perishing because it could not be transported to markets due to the road closure.
They urged the authorities to remain on-site and ensure the road is reopened as soon as possible so that patients can be shifted to DHQ Hospital and farmers can transport their produce to markets without further delay.