Special funds have been approved for the restoration of roads and tracks washed away by floods in parts of the Manoor and Kaghan valleys, according to Balakot MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Lughmani said clearance and rehabilitation work had begun on routes connecting several areas of the two valleys with the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road.
He said residents of dozens of villages and mountainous areas had been severely affected by floods triggered by monsoon rains, with damaged roads making it difficult for patients to reach health facilities.
Lughmani said an alternative route to Rati Galli had been reconstructed after the original track leading to Rati Galli Lake was washed away at Barawai.
He said residents of Barawai had requested the reconstruction of the route and work on an alternative track had been launched to restore access to the area.
According to Lughmani, the alternative route would facilitate tourism by allowing visitors to access various lakes and other scenic locations in the valley that remain relatively unexplored.
He said the upper Kaghan Valley was known for the production of high-quality peas and tomatoes, adding that the rehabilitation of roads and construction of alternative tracks would help farmers transport their produce to markets across Hazara and other parts of the country.
Lughmani said work on the central road in Manoor Valley, estimated to cost more than Rs600 million, was also progressing. He added that tracks washed away along streams were being reconstructed or rehabilitated to restore transportation links for local residents.
