MAZAR-e-Sharif (PAN): Residents of Samangan province demanded the government should ensure provision of drinking water facility and construction of highways to connect districts of the province.
They said roads of six districts connected with the provincial capital were needed to be graveled. Residents of some districts were facing immense problems in reaching to the provincial capital who used the long Mazar-e-Sharif route to make it to the capital of the province.
Similar, the locals demanded strategy should be adopted to ensure provision of potable water to all the districts including the provincial capital, Aybak city.
Talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, a resident of Dara Sofbala said a long 120-kilometers road between his district and the provincial capital was in dilapidated condition for years.
He said parts of the road had been broken because of plying of large and heavy vehicles loaded of coal, adding the government was getting enough amount of revenue from the coal mines but did not bother to construct the road.
Muhammad Deen, another resident said the road was in ramshackle condition and even the residents were facing unspeakable problems to travel or transport their goods or patients on the road.
“Locals use to reach to the capital Aybak via Mazar-e-Sharif because the road has wide cracks and unable for passenger vehicles,” residents said.
In his chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, Abdul Ahad, a resident of Sofbala said the Dam Garrai road between Aybak city and Sofbala was closed for common people as it was being used by heavy vehicles transporting coal from mines.
Muhammad Naeem, a resident of the Sofbala said heavy vehicles were using the road to transport the coal of the area, which left parts of the road completely damaged.
“About 30 heavy vehicles loaded of coal pass through the road on daily basis, which is the main source of its damage. Passenger vehicles cannot drive in a comfortable way because the road is bumpy amid heavy dust,” he added.
Officials of Samangan admitted uneven road between the district and the provincial capital was the biggest problem for the residents and underlined the need that its construction was mandatory.
Samangan Governor Khairullah Anosh said the dilapidated condition of the road was for sure a big problem, which affected the locals in terms of their economy and movement.
Due to damaged road, work on the Doab coal mine has ceased for the last one month, according to the governor who said the bumpy road had made it almost impossible for the residents to travel elsewhere.
The locals had been demanding provision of drinking water to the area.
Ahmadullah, a resident of Aybak city said with the exception of his hometown, dwellers of rests of the districts were confronting with potable water issue.
He said people were drinking water from canals and rivers, leading them to face water-borne diseases.
Admitting the unavailability of drinking water as the most serious issue in parts of the province, the governor promised measures would be explored to hygienic water to parts of Samangan.
“If the central government does not extend its support in providing drinking water facility to locals then it would be a difficult task to be done by the provincial authorities of its own,” the governor remarked.
He said work to lay down 36-kilometers long pipeline from Khurram and Sar Bagh districts to Aybak city had been started, which would be completed in the next two years.
He expressed optimism work on the potable water project would be completed before its designated time with the cooperation of the central government.