MIANWALI: Traffic on Mianwali-Bannu Road was restored on Tuesday morning after 48 hours of closure.

The hill torrents in Isakhel tehsil washed away the inter-province road at Tarag, Qamar-Mushani and Jalalpur. A portion of Chachali bridge was also swept away which resulted in clsoure of the road and Isakhel remained cut off from the district headquarters and other parts of the country. The teams of highway, irrigation and district administration remained busy round the clock to restore traffic.

Amanatullah Khan Shadikhel, MPA from Isakhel tehsil, told this correspondent that he himself monitored restoration work and rehabilitation process for the flood-hit.

In Mianwali tehsil, the hill torrents emerging out of Salt Range devastated large areas of Namal valley in Chakrala area. Many houses reportedly collapsed beside inundation of crops at Namal, Dhiba Kasrsial, Wandhi, Kalri, Thameywali, Kund and Chakrala mauzas. The affected populace of the area is shifting to higher grounds.

Dam spillways opened; traffic on Mianwali-Bannu Road restored

The hill torrents locally known as ‘Golar’, ‘Tarapi’ and ‘Raghera’ played havoc with Namal valley and ravaged vast localities around it. The water of these hill torrents falls into Namal lake which also swelled and water touched its surrounding localities and also crossed Mianwali-Rawalpindi Road at different places. The irrigation department has opened spillways of Namal dam to avert damage to the dam.The roads in Namal valley have washed away at various places and traffic on Dhurnaka-Sakesar and Ban Hafiz Gee to Chakda stopped.

Namal Welfare Society President Said Ali Shah (65) told Dawn that he had never seen such devastation in his life in the area. He alleged the flood-tossed people were not getting goods from a relief camp set up at Namal College. “The representatives of the district administration are a tool of local politicians who are obliging their near and dear ones.”

He has appealed to the administration for supply of ration and other material at doorstep of the flood victims.

When contacted Mianwali District Coordination Officer Talat Mehmood Gondal said 45 mauzas of the district were hit by rainwater and Isakhel was ravaged by hill torrents.

He said relief camps were being established at Isakhel, Qamar Mushani and Namal. “My priority is to evacuate the stranded people but the badly damaged road is creating hindrance in the movement of relief teams.”

The DCO said he directed the highway department to repair the damaged road on a war footings to restore traffic to approach the affected areas.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2015

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