ISLAMABAD: To promote tourism in Gandhara, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have teamed up to build the Skindar-e-Azam road. The 20-kilometre collaborative road project between CDA and the KP government is scheduled to be finished in four months, according to details. To cover this Margalla Hills route with carpet, though, would take around six months. The KP government would be responsible for finishing the remaining portion of the Skindar-e-Azam road to Khanpur. At the same time, the CDA authority will pave the 7.5-kilometre route from the Margalla Motorway to the village of Kainthla via Shah Allah Dita.
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According to sources, CDA has planned the opening of the newly constructed Margalla Avenue as well as the widening and reconstruction of Shah Allah Ditta to Kentla Road. This 7.5-kilometre road will be built all the way to the Kenthla Area, from which it will be connected to the Haripur Area. The 7.5 KM road will cost roughly Rs380 million to build and take four months to complete once construction begins.
There is currently a local road that is utilized by the locals. However, CDA is now prepared to reconstruct it and completely enlarge the road. Since the ancient Buddha Caves are situated in the Shah Allah Ditta area, the route would also aid in promoting tourism there.
According to a CDA officer, the federal government authorized a package worth Rs 10 billion for development projects in rural areas a few months ago. The road, he continued, will be 24 feet wide and built in the same manner as a road that has already been built from the zoo to Monal.
It is important to highlight that Zone III of Islamabad, which is situated in the centre of the Margalla Hills, would be crossed by the full 7.5-kilometre route. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has not granted the CDA permission to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for this project. However, a top CDA officer argued that an EIA is not necessary for this project.
