Shakar Tangi villagers rebuild bridges on self-help basis

MARDAN: Villagers in Shakar Tangi rebuilt on self-help basis two small bridges on a link road serving the village.

The construction work was undertaken by the villagers in Shakar Tangi in Katlang tehsil in Mardan district after being mobilized by the Shakar Tangi Development Society, a non-governmental organization. Led by the society’s President Zulfiqar Khan and General Secretary Mohammad Ali, the volunteers collected donations and mobilized the village workforce to repair the damaged bridges on the road that linked Shakar Tangi with Mardan city and adjoining villages. Zulfiqar Khan said they were distraught due to the damage done to the bridges and the poor condition of the road. He said they decided to undertake this task on self-help basis as nobody in the government or any other organization was willing to assist them. He said their society intended to raise more money to carry out other tasks including rebuilding of other bridges and schools.

The villagers in Shakar Tangi and several other villages in Katlang tehsil have also approached the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) to help repair the roads and bridges that were damaged during the building of the Swat Expressway. The Swat Expressway being built by the FWO passes through several villages of Katlang tehsil.