Poor condition of road troubles tourists in Kaghan

MANSEHRA: The dangerous condition of Balakot-Naran section of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road is a big hurdle to promote tourism in scenic Kaghan valley.

“The chief minister wants to promote tourism in the province but the highly dangerous and dilapidated condition of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road is a big question mark on the claims being made by him in this regard,” said Abdul Waheed, a tourist from Lahore.

The deteriorated road condition and frequent landslides disrupt traffic and put the lives of travellers in a danger. The National Highway Authority and Communication and Works Department didn’t construct embankments walls at most of Balakot-Naran section of the road.

“Big ditches and cracks in roads and frequent landslide is a big hurdle to smooth travelling on this road,” said Waheed. Another tourist, Mohammad Jibran, said two tourists were killed last week when a heavy landslide hit a vehicle but even then the government was not sincerely working to re-carpet this road and construct embankment walls around it.

“In some areas, one can experience that road is being eroded into Kunhar River posing a serious threat to travellers,” said Jibran. Matiullah, the president of hoteliers association in Kaghan valley, when contacted said that a delegation of hoteliers met with local lawmakers and visiting ministers and apprised them about their problems including the dilapidated condition of the road. “And we waiting for their response,” he added.