Muhammad Faisal Kaleem

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has completed necessary repairs on 15 flood-ravaged roads across the country in record time, restoring the traffic to the huge relief of thousands of marooned, helpless motorists. These roads did not fall within the NHA’s jurisdiction, but the Authority swung into action on the special instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“Following the prime minister’s directions, we took prompt action in the flood-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK),” Chairman of NHA Muhammad Sheheryar Sultan told Wealth Pakistan. He said the Authority’s teams were already out, clearing the flood-affected roads in Buner, Swat, Bajaur, Battagram, Shangla, Malakand Division, Torghar, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Shangla, Battagram, Upper Chitral, and other areas.

“Dedicated teams were deputed on all the roads, whether they fell within the Authority’s jurisdiction or not. A patch of road littered with debris in Peer Mahal, Toba Tek Singh District, stretching 2.5 kilometers, will be cleared soon. Except for this patch, all the roads are now open to traffic after the August 15 floods,” he said. Replying to a question, he said the NHA awards contracts in advance for periodic maintenance of its roads.

“Whenever minor damages occur, the contracted firms are instructed to carry out the necessary repairs,” he added. Sultan mentioned his week-long stay in KP and GB, where he monitored the activities carried out by the NHA teams. He said Federal Minister for Communications Aleem Khan also visited the flood-hit areas and thoroughly inspected the work undertaken by the NHA at various sections.

In the middle of the current month, powerful cloudbursts triggered flash floods across KP, GB, and AJK, devastating a vast area. Over 500 people lost their lives, and properties worth billions of rupees were damaged. Aleem Khan thoroughly inspected the destruction caused by floods, issued on-the-spot instructions, and expressed satisfaction over the restoration of traffic in the minimum time.

He suggested that the water flowing down the mountains should pass under the roads rather than over the roads so as to save the road infrastructure and travelers from the flood hazards. The minister noted that the NHA and Frontier Works Organization (FWO) had jointly worked on a war-footing basis on the affected highways and within minimal time opened Skardu, KP, Mansehra, and its surrounding roads to traffic, while the construction work on some bridges is still in progress.

Sultan said heavy rains and flash floods had severely damaged property and the communications system. However, he noted that the NHA promptly began the repair work and opened several roads and highways in GB, KP, and AJK for traffic. The NHA teams informed the minister that Jaglot–Skardu Road was severely damaged, but this and other roads in the KP province were now open to traffic.

Credit: INP-WealthPk