Britain to send 12 bridges for flood-hit areas

Residents cross a damaged bridge in the flood-ravaged area of Kasbag Gujarat, some 60kms west of Multan. photo: afp/ file

ISLAMABAD: The British government has chalked out a time schedule to deliver 12 bridges for the Malakand dstrict in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) – where the infrastructure has been severely damaged due to floods.

The £10million bridge project was originally planned for 2012, however due to an urgent need to rebuild infrastructure in the country, the UK has decided to accelerate the project.

Since August 5, a number of engineers funded by Department for International Development (DFID) have been working very closely with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in identifying the areas where the bridges are most needed and planning their delivery. DFID has acquired two bridges from the UK’s Ministry of Defence which will be transported to Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa by road from Karachi next week. Ten more bridges will depart from Tillbury Dock, London in the next few days and are expected to reach Karachi next month.

According to a press release issued by the British High commission, the British Government’s Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, said: “The floods have washed away hundreds of bridges in Pakistan. The disruption caused by this damage to Pakistan’s infrastructure is immense. That’s why we’ve accelerated this £10million bridge project. These ten bridges will set sail from London soon, heading for Pakistan, and we are trucking a further two bridges up from Karachi to Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa. People rely on bridges; they’re vital transport links; and will allow people to get to school, work, and get on with their lives.”

Britain has committed £64 million for the flood victims. The money is being used for the construction of toilets, emergency shelters, health care and access to safe water.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2010.