Pakistan Floods have destroyed 149 bridges and 3161 kilometres of road.
149 Bridges and 3161 KM of the road are destroyed by floods in Pakistan
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, several higher parts of the Swat and Dir districts were cut off from the rest of the country, impeding rescue efforts. In addition to the enormous human and material losses, the destructive floods also wrecked communication infrastructure, including roads and bridges.
Around 200 tourists were trapped in Mahudhand Lake due to severe damage to the Kalam-Mataltan road in Upper Swat, which was one of the 149 bridges damaged by the floods that destroyed 3161.5 kilometres of roads and 149 bridges in Pakistan. Tangi Bridge, located near the Monda headworks in the Charsadda district, was also lost to the floods, which also severely hampered traffic between Charsadda and Peshawar.
54 bridges and 50 hotels in Hazara and Malakand are destroyed by flash floods
On the special directions of Federal Minister of Communications Asad Mahmood, the National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Captain (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha is personally overseeing the job of maintaining the nation’s road infrastructure.
The appropriate equipment was transported to the site to restore traffic on N-95 as a result of rain and floods between Bahrain and Kalam, the NHA spokeswoman said in a statement. In Upper Chitral, between Garam Chashma and Shah Salim, N-95 was afterwards cleared and made open for traffic, according to the statement.
The spokeswoman appealed to the travellers to avoid unnecessary travel in the areas affected by the flooding. Road repair is being performed by NHA members Naveed Iqbal Wahla, Shahid Ehsanullah, and Murshid Amin Khattak,
Because many travellers, students, and even some locals are also already trapped due to destructive flash floods it was discovered.
When verifying the trapping of 200 tourists at Mahudhand Lake, Junaid Khan, Deputy Commissioner Swat, stated that the district government was in contact with these tourists and that they would be evacuated after the rescue operations at Mataltan and upper Kalam was finished.
He claimed that 15 female instructors who had become stranded in a Kalam hotel had been safely rescued and were now in Kabal Swat. According to the National Disasters Management Authority, from June 14 to August 27, 2022, KP experienced devastating record-breaking floods that resulted in the destruction and damage of 3161.5km of roads, 149 bridges, and 122 stores.
Along with the 982 fatalities and 1456 injuries, the natural disaster negatively impacted rescue efforts by impairing road connectivity in upper Swat districts including Madain, Kalam, and Bahrain. According to Deputy Commissioner Swat, repair efforts have begun in Madain-Bahrain to help flood victims.
The flood in the area over the past three days is said to have destroyed 233 homes, 41 schools, 50 hotels, and several bridges, according to the Swat administration.
130 kilometres worth of roads were devastated by floodwaters in the district, according to officials.
To safely return to their respective places, they stated that well over 1,000 visitors who were trapped in the Kalam and Bahrain areas were being evacuated by helicopter.
Swat Expressway is partially obstructed.
Because of landslides, the motorway police have temporarily blocked a portion of the Swat Expressway in the Palai area.
A spokesperson for the motorway police said that although traffic from Swat has been blocked at Chakdara, traffic from Islamabad and Peshawar is being redirected towards the Palai Interchange.
The representative continued by saying that the highway’s stones and other obstructions are being taken out and that the general public has been advised to avoid unnecessary travel in current weather.
All appropriate equipment was transported to the site to restore traffic on N-95 as a result of rain and floods between Bahrain and Kalam, the NHA spokeswoman said in a statement. In Upper Chitral, between Garam Chashma and Shah Salim, N-95 was afterwards cleared and made open for traffic, according to the statement.
The statement also noted that the Indus Highway’s floodwater level near Rojhan ranged from six inches to a foot; however, as the water level subsided, traffic was resumed on the N-25’s Lunda Bridge near Athal City. All traffic on the N-25 between Karachi and Quetta has been opened, it continued. Before leaving or in case they require assistance, individuals can call the highway police helpline at 130.
In Sindh, where 2,328 km of highways, 60 bridges, and 45 stores were destroyed or damaged by the deadly floods, the national tragedy has played havoc with the state’s transportation infrastructure, impeding rescue efforts. The gushing flood also destroyed 115 km of roads and 12 bridges in Punjab, 6.5 km of roads and 7 bridges in KP, 710 km of roads and 18 bridges in Balochistan, and 710 km of roads and 17 stores in AJK.
As attempting to reopen traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Frontier Works Organization reported that it was extremely busy cleaning the Karakoram Highway’s blocked section in the Mansehra region.
DC Swat stated that the Madain-Bahrain road will be reopened to traffic by this evening, which would speed up relief efforts and the movement of supplies for flood victims.
He said that rescue and relief efforts had begun in the flood-affected Atror area, while the first chopper bearing supplies had arrived in Kalam, where catastrophic flooding had destroyed hotels, inns, and motels and caused losses of millions of rupees.
According to the deputy commissioner, 66 individuals who were trapped in Kalam were rescued and sent to Khwazakhela. Along with destroying hotels, gardens, and standing crops, the floods also caused enormous losses to farmers and cattle owners by sweeping away 802,583 animals.
Ameer Muqam, the advisor to the prime minister on political and public affairs, stated that all relevant agencies, including the National Highway Authority (NHA), were mobilised to repair road connections in flood-affected districts.
He said that NHA and PESCO have been instructed to speed up operations in flood-affected areas and that initiatives were being taken to lessen the suffering of people, including those who live in hilly areas and have issues as a result of bridge and road damage, he also recognised the efforts made by PESCO officials to restore power to flood-affected communities. He claimed that the essential machinery and equipment had been sent to restore the roads and electricity in the damaged Swat districts.
Karakoram Highway
According to the spokesperson, a significant landslide and mudflow caused the Karakoram Highway to be closed for two-way travel at Mata Banda.
According to the statement, it is raining from Thakot to Dasu, and road cleaning operations will begin as soon as the rain stops. The high water level in Achar Nala and rain in the neighbourhood, it was noted, caused traffic to be suspended.
It continued, “Traffic will be restored when the water level in the canal falls.”
The federal communications minister, according to the NHA spokesperson, is personally keeping an eye on the entire scenario.
The N-25 between Karachi and Quetta has been opened to all traffic, it added. People can use the highway police helpline at 130 before departing or if they need assistance.