ISLAMABAD: Federal Minis­ter of Communications and Postal Services Asad Mahmood has directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to take all necessary measures for repair and reconstruction of all roads damaged by recent heavy rains and floods in the country.

“All resources should be utilised to ensure the restoration of traffic on the National Highways and Motorways,” the minister directed NHA officials at a meeting here on Wednesday.

The meeting was convened to take steps to repair and reconstruct all motorways and national highways damaged by the rains and flood to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

The meeting was informed that the Indus River had been damaged at 771-773 places which came was around 780km to 782km.

The meeting further informed that NHA officials in Dera Ghazi Khan were trying to restore traffic on the Indus Highway and that all affected portions of the damaged Indus Highway were likely to be repaired and restored by Wednesday evening.

Likewise, necessary machinery had been sent to repair the da­maged parts of Khuzdar-Quba Saeed Khan Highway.

Similarly, maintenance units on the GT Road N-5, (Wazirabad and Rawalpindi) are also fully operational.

The meeting was informed that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khawaza Khela-Bisham Road, Chakdara-Kalam Road and Chitral-Shandur Road were open for traffic while Nowshera-Dir-Chitral Road, Lowari Tunnel (North Bound) have also been opened for traffic.

National Highway Authority chairman retired Captain Muhammad Khurram Agha is on a visit to Balochistan to inspect and start repair of all highways, bridges and other roads damaged by recent rains and floods in the province.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2022