Daily Times

Member Engineering the National Highway Authority Naseem Khattak Friday said that National Highway Authority (NHA) has set up 24-hours emergency cell for monsoon rains and actively working with local administrations and rescue teams to clear roads obstructed by rain.

Talking to PTV news channel, he said tourists were specifically advised to refrain from traveling to such areas.

He recalled NHA’s crucial role in dealing with heavy monsoon rains in the past that reduced problems of people in low lying areas of the country.

He said the authority will take immediate practical steps for smooth flow of traffic on its 14000 network to the convenience of the motorists.

He said the authority is closely monitoring the monsoon weather condition and will provide updates as the clearance operation will progress to relevant departments, adding, NHA already issued monsoon advisory and coordinating with all district administrations on daily basis.

Replying a query, he said we are ensuring safety measures ahead of the predicted monsoon rainfalls so that any untoward situation could be dealt with in time, adding, Karakoram Highway and other damaged bridges were also being repaired on priority basis.

He further stated that the relevant staff of the NHAs is on high alert during the monsoon rains to keep the national highways operational at all times, adding that NHA is fully committed to providing all possible cooperation to the federal and provincial governments during these rains.

To another question, he said public was urged to travel cautiously and avoid non-essential trips, especially in mountainous regions prone to landslides.

NHA is collecting data of damaged roads on daily basis, he said, adding, we are in contact with the coordinated efforts of relevant officials in districts and are also distributing awareness posters and brochures amongst the people on the roads containing information about dos and don’ts during floods, landslides and other monsoon or heavy rain-related incidents.