British-era bridge rehabilitated in Chitral

CHITRAL: A bridge constructed by the British in the 1940s was rehabilitated by the Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) at a simple ceremony at Nagar in Lower Chitral on Saturday.

The bridge, which was originally built for mules, was being used by jeeps. The rehabilitation of the bridge will give a boost to tourism and development because it eases vehicular movement in the valley. Deputy Commissioner, Lower Chitral, Hassan Abid inaugurated the bridge, which was worn-out and required immediate rehabilitation.

Funded by the German government under the PATRIP programme, the rehabilitation project was executed by SRSP. The deputy commissioner lauded the efforts of SRSP in developing the remoter valleys of the district and assured government's support in undertaking the noble work. The bridge connects the villages of Patai and Urtsun to the main road.

It’s part of a larger effort consisting of two more bridges and a six kilometre long road that would connect these border valleys to the main road. Urtsun valley borders Nuristan province of Afghanistan and locals on both sides have historical ties.

The Commandant of Chitral Scouts, Colonel Sami, speaking on the occasion, said that all stakeholders need to cooperate to ensure development for these remote regions. The local community activists pointed out that such initiatives would help usher in a new era of development in the region, which was not possible because of the poor state of the infrastructure.

Nagar is famous for the gardens of Nagar Fort, which attracts hundreds of tourists each year. The CEO of SRSP, Masood Ul Mulk, urged the communities to benefit from the initiatives by mobilising and working collectively to solve their problems.