TAXILA: Thousands of residents living along the Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border have been cut off after flash floods triggered by recent monsoon rains washed away a temporary crossing over the Haro River at Kohlia near Hassanabdal, renewing calls for the construction of a permanent bridge.
The damaged crossing served as the main link between the Punjab villages of Kohlia, Gaar and Jhamra and Ghazi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its destruction has forced residents to take lengthy alternative routes to reach schools, hospitals, markets and workplaces.
Local residents said the loss of the crossing has severely disrupted daily life, particularly for students, patients in need of emergency medical care, government and private employees, farmers transporting agricultural produce and other commuters.
“The temporary crossing was built by local residents with their own resources because the authorities failed to provide a permanent solution. Every monsoon season, rising water washes it away, leaving thousands of people stranded once again,” said Shafqat Zaman, a resident of Kohlia.
Another resident, Bashart Mehmood, criticized successive governments for failing to fulfill repeated promises to construct a permanent bridge over the Haro River.
“Politicians visit our villages before elections and promise to solve this decades-old problem. Once elected, they forget their commitments, while residents continue to suffer every rainy season,” he said.
Representatives of Tehreek Ahliyan Kohlia and Gaar said the repeated destruction of the makeshift crossing demonstrates the urgent need for a permanent infrastructure solution.
“A permanent bridge over the Haro River is no longer a luxury but a necessity. It is essential to ensure year-round connectivity and provide safe access for thousands of residents, students, farmers and emergency patients,” a representative said.
The residents urged the Punjab government, the Attock district administration and elected representatives to prioritize the project, saying a permanent bridge would restore reliable connectivity, improve public safety and protect local communities from recurring hardships during the monsoon season.
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