Flood-hit Kumrat road partially restored for traffic

DIR: The road damaged by floods in Kumrat and Barikot in Upper Dir has been partially restored for traffic amidst public protests.

The flood had washed away houses, land, crops, and wooden bridges in Kumrat, Thal, and Barikot seven days ago. Hundreds of tourists had also been stranded in Kumrat due to the flood.Deputy Commissioner Naveed Akbar had visited the affected areas and directed the authorities to start work immediately and open the road for traffic as soon as possible.

Although the district administration made efforts to evacuate the tourists from Kumrat to their respective areas via Dir and Badgoi Top, the road from Thal to Kumrat and from Barikot to Thal was completely blocked due to the flood for seven days.

As a result, people, including women and children, had to walk for several minutes to cross

the mountain at Barikot by foot. The PKHA and C&W started restoring the road along the riverbank at Barikot and cutting the mountain at Gulon under the direction of the Deputy Commissioner. They managed to restore the traffic from Kumrat to Barikot.

However, the road was yet to be built from Barikot to Thal. A protest gathering was held in the Thal mosque, which was addressed by ANP leader Gul Sher and others.They said that despite the passage of seven days, the failure to restore the road at two places in Barikot has caused severe difficulties for the people of Thal and Kalakot.