Residents want Kunar-Nuristan road rebuilt

ASADABAD (Pajhwok): Residents of eastern Kunar and Nuristan provinces have called for the urgent reconstruction of the Asadabad-Paron road, which has been severely damaged by recent rains.

This road connects Kunar’s Watapur, Manogi and Chapa Dara districts besides providing access for Nuristan residents to Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. It has been damaged in several areas.

Locals raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of the road, urging the government to carry out long-due repairs.

Wahidullah Talash, a resident of Manogi district of Kunar, complained the route had been in pitiable condition for years, causing hardships for the people.

“The main road between Kunar and Nuristan has been in a state of disrepair for years. Neither the previous nor the current administration has paid heed to its reconstruction,” he lamented.

Mohammad Ismail, hailing from the Wama district of Nuristan, said the recent rainfall had exacerbated the road’s condition, making travel increasingly difficult.

“Every winter, when there is heavy rainfall, our people face a whole host of problems. The road is really in bad situation. Drivers are reluctant to travel it,” he commented.

Despite repeated requests to the government for repairs, no action had been taken so far, Ismail regretted.

In response, Kunar’s Public Works Director Qari Qudratullah Mahaz said efforts to repair the road were already underway.

He confirmed the rainfall had caused significant damage to parts of the road and teams have been mobilised to rebuild it.

Mahaz pointed out the central government had allocated a budget for the construction of the Kunar-Nuristan highway.

With a technical survey and design work already completed, he said, reconstruction work was expected to begin soon.

The 120-kilometere road is a critical link between the two provinces. Two months ago, the Ministry of Public Works began work on the first and second sections of the road, for which over 600 million afghanis have been set aside.

sa/mud