ISLAMABAD: The four-day Swat festival has started, but enthusiasts are facing difficulty in reaching there, particularly because of the dilapidated Chakdara-Kalam Road whose condition has worsened after recent rains.

The annual festival in the picturesque Swat valley began on Thursday under the auspices of the army in commemoration of restoration of peace two years ago.

Sources in the National Highway Authority told Dawn that the army authorities had asked the NHA to reconstruct the 45km portion of the road, but it only carried out some patch work.

The Asian Development Bank, under its Flood Emergency Reconstruction Project (FERP), had granted a Rs7 billion loan for the project, but the NHA failed to utilise it. The loan will lapse next month.

The NHA has been reconstructing the 18km portion of the road from Fatehpur to Bahrain, while work on the remaining 45km from Bahrain to Kalam, which has eight sections – six roads and 26 big and small bridges – is yet to begin.

The ADB has reportedly declared reconstruction of Chakdara-Kalam Road ‘most important’ under its reconstruction projects in the country.

NHA’s General Manager in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Samad Khan told Dawn that Rs325 million had been allocated for reconstruction of the road but it required Rs10bn.

He said the ADB had been asked to reallocate the loan in its next programme to be implemented in the next calendar year.

The infrastructure in Swat district, particularly schools, roads and tourist points, was destroyed during the military operation between June 2009 and December 2012.

Published in Dawn, Aug 9th, 2014