MANSEHRA: Oghi local body members on Sunday demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to restore tax on the mining companies to use the money for rehabilitating the roads damaged by trucks transporting huge rocks of granite and other minerals.

“Excavation of granite and other minerals, and their transportation to markets has destroyed roads, water resources and forests. Therefore, the provincial government should allow local bodies to impose the tax on contractors to use the money to rehabilitate the affected infrastructure,” Wajid Ali, chairman of Oghi neighbourhood council, told reporters.

He said the previous Oghi tehsil government had imposed tax on transportation of minerals to markets in Punjab and rest of the country, but the then Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government withdrew the levy.

“I would strongly suggest to the caretaker government to set aside the previous government’s order and revive the levy so infrastructure of the areas wherefrom such treasures are being excavated, could be rehabilitated,” Mr Ali said.

He said the Oghi tehsil council had already decided to move a resolution to seek restoration of the levy.

He said water sources, roads and forests in Oghi, Darband and Shergar areas were destroyed owing to blasting and excavation of minerals.

“The Mansehra-Oghi-Darband Road, which was blacktopped in recent years, has deteriorated because of transportation of mega rocks from the mineral-enriched localities to parts of the country,” Mr Ali said.

VACCINES: People from different localities on Sunday criticised the district health officer over non-availability of anti-venom and anti-rabies vaccines at tehsil headquarters hospitals in Oghi and Darband.

“Cases of snake and dog bites have increased significantly since the weather turned hot, but the affected people are compelled to travel to Mansehra as the health facilities in both the neighbouring towns are without vaccines,” Ilyas Tanoli, a traders’ leader in Oghi, told reporters.

Flanked by a group of locals, he said if the DHO didn’t ensure the supply of vaccines to the health facilities, the bitten people, mostly children and women, could die.

Mr Tanoli demanded of the health minister to ensure immediate availability of the two vaccines in local hospitals.

KILLED: Two Afghan nationals died in separate incidents here on Sunday, the police said.

Abdul Khaliq, 16, a street vendor, drowned in the Indus River in Jabori area.

Locals rushed to the scene, fished out his body, and handed it over to his family.

Separately, Naqibullah, 20, was electrocuted in the College Doraha area.

He was rushed to King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2023