Governor briefed on Tunnel

APP

PESHAWAR: NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani has stressed the need for providing emergency passage facility to the people of Chitral through the under-construction Lowari Tunnel during the winter.

Presiding over a briefing to review pace of progress on the project at the Governor's House, he said, “ensuring security of this project of vital importance is must but at the same time there is a need to facilitate the people on humanitarian grounds as well.”

The member construction of National Highway Authority Mir Hussain Rind briefed the governor about the work done so far, prevailing state of working condition and the future course of action to implement the project.

General Managers NHA Yousaf Ali and Abdul Samad respectively were also present on this occasion.

The governor desired that all concerned, especially the NHA and the district administration should facilitate the contractors to the utmost level to ensure smooth execution of the project.

Talking on a point, the governor said as far as emergency passage facility during the ensuing winter season is concerned, there should be good coordination between DCOs of Upper Dir and Chitral to identify genuine emergency cases and make proper arrangements on both sides of the tunnel for a shuttle transport service for this purpose.

“We should have checkpoints at suitable places to allow only those persons issued special permission to approach the tunnel to prevent crowding and rush at the work site and prevent any obstacle to smooth progress of construction work by the contractor and also ensure security.”

Meanwhile, the governor was informed that the 8,510 meters long tunnel has been successfully made through across. However, it was added that work on the project remained suspended since May this year because of security reasons and now every effort was underway to ensure smooth progress on the project.--(APP)

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