From road to rubble: Mingora-Charbagh road falls apart after face-lift

Was reconstructed two months ago after lying broken for decades.

CHARBAGH: The Mingora-Charbagh road has fallen apart after two months of reconstruction by National Highway Authority (NHA). The re-laying of the road had taken place after decades of the route being in ruins, complained residents.

“There are many places where roads are falling apart just a month after being restored,” Sultan-e-Rom, an elder of Charbagh Qaumi Jirga, told The Express Tribune on Sunday. “This shows the authorities are using substandard material for construction.”



The thoroughfare that leads to Chargbagh also serves as a link road for Khwazakhela, Madyan, Bahrain, Kalam, Maidam and Shangla. It remained broken down for almost two decades despite its arterial importance.

Agitated residents criticised the provincial government and said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government is incapable of ruling a region in spite of a slogan which promises change.

“We keep the elected representatives informed about the low standard of material which is used in the construction of road but no one bothers,” said a resident of Charbagh, Anwar Anjum.  Locals said the elected MNA and MPA use the road, yet they ignore the dilapidated state of the infrastructure.

Tourists who use the route to go to Maidam, Madyan, Bahrain and Kalam also complained about the dire state
of the road.

An official of NHA, Anwar Usman, said the on-going excavation being done by Sui Northern Gas Company Limited has caused the subsequent deterioration of the road.

“The excavators dumped soil on the road which caused water to stand there during rains, destroying it.” However, he said he would inform the contractor to reconstruct the destroyed parts.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2015.