Work on Yarkhun bridge begins

Chitral Update Report
ISLAMABAD: Work on the damaged jeepabale bridge connecting the
Yarkhun valley of Chitral with other parts of the district
has been re-stared after about five months.
The bridge was washed away in August 2006, cutting off the
valley of over 40,000 people from the outside world. Since
then the people of the area have been awaiting the
reconstruction of the vital bridge but the government has
failed to complete it even after the lapse of over two
years.
So far work on the Rs7.9 million project has been started
and abandoned three times. Last time, a contractor resumed
work on the directives of the newly-elected MNA and MPA
but after drilling a few bores left the site in May as the
water level increased with the coming of summer. Though
officials say the project would take three to four months
for completion, people of the area are still not sure
whether the bridge would be reconstructed even by next
summer.