SHANGLA: Local people and transporters have demanded of the government to resume work on construction of a bridge on Patai Khwar (river) that links Chakesar with Martung tehsils as the work has been stopped for the last seven months.

They said that work on the only bridge in the area was restarted about nine months ago which was again stopped by the contractor after two months. They said that the people had been facing difficulties while crossing the river.

“The bridge was damaged in 2010 flash floods and afterwards the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority started work on it, but the contractor left it halfway citing funds shortage. Work on it remained stopped for seven years. Last year, the contractor resumed work, but it was stopped again after two months,” said Haider Khan, a local social activist.

People of two tehsils continue to face problems

He said that transporters and private car owners crossed the river by driving through the river water by putting their lives at risk.

A cab driver, Ashraf Khan, said his vehicle developed faults almost daily because of the bad condition of the road and unavailability of bridge for crossing Patai Khwar.

“When I reach Pattai Khwar, I ask the passengers to get off and cross the river by foot because water enters the car. Due to the prolonged delay in the bridge construction the transportation business has been affected,” he lamented.

Saeed Anwar, another driver, said the government should complete work on the bridge to provide relief to the local people.

Muhabat Khan, a jeep driver, said, that in case of rain only tractors crossed the river which chargeed Rs200 per passenger just for taking them from one side of the river to the other.

SIX INJURED: Six people were injured when a jeep fell into a ravine in Sewoor area of Damorai here the other day.

Local people and police officials retrieved the injured from the ravine and took them to a nearby hospital. The injured were later referred to the DHQ Hospital, Alpuri.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2019